The Indiana Pacers are heading into a stretch where the calendar could turn on them fast.
Right now, nearly the entire rotation is tied up on deals that run less than three years. That sounds harmless enough until you look at the endgame: after the next two seasons, all but two players will be free agents.
This summer’s group matters less in comparison, with Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard as the main names in that class. Both were missed first-round picks, though either could still turn into useful pieces somewhere else.
The real pressure point lands the year after that. Ivica Zubac, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, T.J.
McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Kelly Oubre Jr. are all set to hit free agency. That is a lot of moving parts, and it is why the Pacers have what amounts to a ticking time bomb on their hands.
Still, plenty of people around the team prefer to look past it. The argument goes like this: chase a title over the next two seasons, let winning smooth out the rest, and deal with the contract mess later. Pacers GM Chad Buchanan echoed that thinking during a recent media availability at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, saying none of the extension talk is worth dwelling on right now.
He has a point.
The problem is the money. There just may not be enough of it to go around.
Andrew Nembhard is the kind of player whose next deal could swing wildly in either direction. He could be headed for a huge raise, or he could be one of those guys who never quite settles into the value people expect. Shot creators are always tricky that way: hard to find, hard to replace, and hard to price in the modern NBA.
Siakam brings a different issue. He is 32 now and will be 34 when he reaches unrestricted free agency. That makes it fair to question whether the max contract he will clearly be after on his extension is even realistic in the summer of 2028-29.
Zubac adds another layer of uncertainty. He has played only five games as a Pacer, and none of them came with the actual core of the team.
He is clearly a major talent upgrade from Myles Turner, and he may wind up being a very good fit if the roster clicks around him. But there is also no missing the possibility that he could be moved out just as quickly as he arrived.
That is what makes Buchanan’s shrug at the extension situation feel risky. Teams do not stay whole forever, and the second security disappears, things can get shaky in a hurry.
Indiana also has a long history of not being a natural free-agent destination. Players have not exactly lined up to come there, even when the Pacers have had good teams and the cap space to make a run.
C.J. Miles may be the best free-agent pickup the franchise has made over the past 15 years.
So no, this is not a market that usually sells itself.
But there is one thing Indiana can offer that matters. Tyrese Halliburton is fun to play with.
Rick Carlisle is one of the best coaches in the NBA. And the Pacers have enough shooting around their top guys that adding a star might actually fit without much fuss.
That is why the summer of 2028-29 stands out. It is loaded with uncertainty, yes. But it is also the first real chance for Indiana to do something it has never done: land a star free agent.
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Haliburton is already extension-eligible despite still having three years left on his deal, which makes the timing of any decision more delicate. Indiana has to weigh the appeal of locking in its centerpiece against the financial risk of acting too early on a player coming off a major injury, especially with recent precedent around similar cases hanging over the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Just Changed Everything For The Pacers This Season
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The Pacers have made several roster moves and already have a projected starting lineup for the upcoming season, but Haliburtons availability is the real pivot point for everything. He is also expected to be a starter for the team in the 2026-27 season, which underscores how much Indiana is still building with him at the center, even as the details of how quickly this group clicks remain to be seen. [Read more 🡒]