The Indiana Pacers are heading into the 2026-27 season with a roster that looks familiar in a few key places and very different in others. Tyrese Haliburton is back after missing the entire previous season with an Achilles tear, and Indiana is trying to get back to the level it reached two years ago when it made that run to the NBA Finals and pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 before Haliburton went down.
That part of the story matters because the Pacers are coming off a 19-63 season in 2025-26, and the expectation now is a sharp turnaround. Pascal Siakam, Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith remain the core pieces, but Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin are no longer in the mix. To help fill those holes, Indiana landed center Ivica Zubac in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers last year and added veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency this offseason.
On paper, the group has the look of a team that can match, or even top, what it had before.
At point guard, Haliburton is the starter and T.J. McConnell remains the trusted backup, giving Indiana the same tandem it used in the NBA Finals. Quenton Jackson is still in the picture as a third option, and two-way rookie Braden Smith is also on the roster.
The shooting guard spot should feature Andrew Nembhard, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ben Sheppard. Sheppard is expected to see less time than he has over the last couple of seasons, but he still gives the Pacers solid depth. Nembhard and Oubre give Indiana a strong pairing there.
At small forward, Aaron Nesmith stays in place as one of the league’s more underrated players. His 3-and-D impact has become one of the best in the NBA. Jarace Walker, who took a big step last season, is set to handle the main backup role behind Nesmith, while Oubre can also slide to the three in certain lineups.
Siakam and Obi Toppin remain major pieces for Indiana as well. Siakam just finished an impressive season while carrying the No. 1 role during Haliburton’s absence, and Toppin has become an important part of the team’s core. Both will be central if the Pacers are going to make another Finals push.
The biggest question mark sits at center. Zubac is a very different player than Turner, but he should give Haliburton a strong pick-and-roll partner. Jay Huff appears likely to be the primary backup because of his rim protection and ability to stretch the floor, while Larry Nance Jr. was a sleeper free-agent addition who could also carve out a useful role off the bench.
In Other News...
Pacers Fans Finally Have A New Viewing Option With One Catch
Pacers fans who have been waiting for a clearer local viewing option are finally getting one. Indiana announced a new streaming partnership with DAZN that will put 22 regular-season games and all four preseason games in one place, giving supporters a fresh way to follow the team without relying only on the old familiar channels.
The setup comes with a catch, though, because not every game is moving over. DAZN will launch a Pacers-branded channel in its app in early September, and the package will include several subscription choices, including discounted early bird season passes, but national TV games will still stay with the leagues existing broadcast partners. The deal is reported to run five years, and the 22 free games should soften the blow for fans who have been frustrated by the hunt for local coverage. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Sees A New Pacers Weapon Fans Havent Really Seen
Tyrese Haliburton is already looking ahead to what the Indiana Pacers could look like next season, and one of the biggest reasons for his optimism is a familiar kind of weapon he has not really had in his time here. He spoke recently about his excitement to share the floor with center Ivica Zubac, whose size and ability around the rim could give Indiana a different kind of pairing in the pick-and-roll.
Zubac arrived in a trade last season, but injury limited him to only five games, so Pacers fans barely got a glimpse of what that fit might look like. Haliburton also offered an update on his own recovery from an Achilles injury, saying he is working his way back and eager to return, which only adds to the intrigue around how the offense might evolve once both players are in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Pressure Is Rising After Clevelands Latest Summer Move
Clevelands latest summer maneuver added another layer to a busy offseason across the East, and it does not help the Pacers margin for error. In a three-team trade, the Clippers got Max Strus, the Nuggets picked up future draft assets, and the Cavaliers landed Peyton Watson, while Washington came away with Tre Mann and a Clippers second-round pick in the deal for Cam Whitmore. Cleveland also plans to waive Whitmore, a reminder that the Cavaliers are still fine-tuning their roster as they keep shaping a group built to stay in the conference race.
For Indiana, the move lands with extra weight because the Pacers are not working with an endless stockpile of trade chips. Their front office has to be careful about when and how it acts, especially with rivals around the conference continuing to patch holes and add depth wherever they can. Each new transaction around Cleveland only sharpens the pressure on Indiana to find the right answer, because in a crowded East, standing still can feel a lot like falling behind. [Read more 🡒]