The Pacers are heading into the season with a starting five that’s drawing real respect around the league. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report pegged Indiana’s group as the 11th-best starting lineup in the NBA, and it’s not hard to see why the conversation starts with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.
Indiana’s projected starters are Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac. That mix gives the Pacers a sturdy core on both ends, with Haliburton and Siakam front and center as the headliners. Zubac, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers at last season’s trade deadline, is part of what the team expects to become its “Big 3” in 2026-27 alongside Haliburton and Siakam.
That move came with a steep price. Indiana lost its first-round pick in the 2026 draft because of the Zubac deal.
The Pacers had needed to land in the top four to keep the pick after sending it to the Clippers with protections attached. The trade involved two first-rounders going to Los Angeles: one in 2029 and either this year’s first if it fell outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.
The lottery didn’t break Indiana’s way. With the Washington Wizards moving up, the Pacers landed fifth, and the pick went to the Clippers.
That means Indiana passed on a chance to draft AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson. Instead, the organization is banking on Zubac to deliver at a high level next to Siakam and Haliburton.
Siakam already showed what he can do when the team needed him. Without Haliburton last season, the Pacers won only 19 games, but Siakam still put together a strong year, averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while making his fourth All-Star team.
Haliburton remains the engine that makes everything go. He posted 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game in 2024-25 and earned All-NBA Third Team honors. In a Pacers uniform, he has averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
The extension he signed in July 2023 keeps him in place on a massive contract, too. Haliburton agreed to a five-year, $244 million deal, and his salary line climbs from $48,924,624 this season to $52,298,736 in 2027-28 and $55,672,848 in 2028-29, the final year of the contract.
His career numbers tell the same story. Haliburton has averaged 17.5 points and 8.8 assists in the regular season, along with 17.9 points and 8.4 assists in the playoffs. For a Pacers team trying to build something bigger, the hope is simple: get him back on the floor and let the rest of the pieces do their job.
In Other News...
Zubac Just Gave Pacers Fans An Encouraging Read On Team Chemistry
Ivica Zubac did not spend long in Indiana after arriving from the Los Angeles Clippers at last seasons trade deadline, but the early read he offered on the Pacers still stood out. At Media Day, Zubac praised the rosters camaraderie and compared the groups feel to the Croatian National Team, a notable compliment for a team leaning into continuity and chemistry as it tries to build on last seasons momentum.
For Pacers fans, the encouraging part is not just the tone of Zubacs comments, but the role that may come with them. He is expected to have a much larger presence this season alongside Tyrese Haliburton as Indianas center, which makes his comfort level with the locker room more than a feel-good note. If the fit clicks the way Zubac suggested, it could matter quickly for a team looking to turn chemistry into results. [Read more 🡒]
Rick Carlisle Sends A Clear Message About Tyrese Haliburtons Return
Tyrese Haliburton is expected back on the floor for the Pacers this season after missing the previous year with a torn Achilles, and the early messaging from Rick Carlisle has been pretty clear about how Indiana plans to handle it. The coach is not framing Haliburton as some isolated fix for everything that went wrong last season, but as one piece of a broader system the Pacers want to lean on as they try to move forward.
That approach also suggests Indiana will be cautious at first, with Haliburtons minutes potentially limited early as the team manages his health and reintegration. For a Pacers group coming off a rough season, the return of its point guard matters a lot, but Carlisles stance hints the organization is thinking bigger than one comeback and more about building something sustainable around him. [Read more 🡒]
Ivica Zubac Just Put A New Pacers Question In Focus
Ivica Zubac is already getting a feel for what life looks like in Indiana, and the adjustment starts with pace. The veteran big man talked about fitting into the Pacers' up-tempo approach and what it means to play alongside Tyrese Haliburton, whose quick-trigger style can turn a possession around before defenses are fully set.
Haliburton's return from injury adds another layer to the season's early rhythm, because Indiana is trying to rebuild chemistry while keeping its title expectations intact. Zubac's comments point to a familiar Pacers question: how quickly can the group sync up when the offense is built around a guard who pushes tempo and starts things earlier than most big men are used to? [Read more 🡒]