The Indiana Pacers have opened the 2026-27 season looking healthy, familiar, and built to compete for an NBA Championship.
Media Day arrived Monday, training camp practices followed, and the early clips the Pacers have shared on social media have already offered a pretty clear window into how the first few rotation groups may come together - even without any confirmation from Coach Carlisle.
The top group looks exactly like the one most people would have penciled in: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Ivica Zubac.
That starting five has the ingredients to be one of the East’s best. There’s versatility, defensive upside, and plenty of offense.
The biggest question is how quickly Zubac meshes with the four players already built on strong chemistry. Even so, Big Zu’s basketball IQ should smooth that transition.
And his presence brings something different, too. He can unlock parts of the offense that a floor-spacing big simply wouldn’t.
The second unit is just as expected, with T.J. McConnell, Kelly Oubre Jr., Jarace Walker, Obi Toppin, and Jay Huff.
McConnell and Toppin are the only holdovers from the 2025 NBA Finals group. Oubre steps in for Mathurin, Walker takes Sheppard’s spot, and Huff replaces Bryant.
It’s a big, interesting bench group. McConnell is the lone player under 6-foot-8 at 6-foot-1, and every player around him brings length. That makes this group a real problem waiting to happen, especially with Huff stationed behind them as a rim protector.
On offense, McConnell is the driver. Oubre Jr. brings slashing ability and a better three-point shot than he used to.
Walker and Toppin already know the system well from working together since 2023, and both can stretch the floor while finishing above the rim. Huff shot better in Memphis than he did during his season as Indiana’s starter, and a smaller role on this bench unit could help bring that touch back.
He also remains the NBA’s top backward dunker.
Defensively, the appeal is obvious. There’s switchability, athleticism, and size everywhere. No one on that group is a standout rebounder by himself, but together they should be able to gang rebound, limit opponents to one shot, and maybe create a few extra possessions the other way.
The third unit has been altered by injuries to Johnny Furphy and Larry Nance Jr., so what’s been shown there is a little different than expected: Quenton Jackson, Ben Sheppard, Kobe Brown, Jalen Slawson, and Keba Keita.
Jackson and Sheppard are the only players in that group on the Pacers’ 15-man roster. Brown and Slawson signed two-way contracts this summer, while Keita came aboard on an Exhibit-10 deal a few weeks ago and is set to play for the Noblesville Boom, Indiana’s G-League affiliate.
That group brings a different kind of energy. It’s athletic, active, and annoying in all the right ways on defense.
Slawson is one of the team’s best chase-down blockers and plays with a high motor. Brown improved as a shooter after being traded here, and his sturdy frame lets him guard 1-5.
Sheppard is a tough defender who moves well and shot better than 40% from deep after Thanksgiving last season. Jackson gives them elite speed and scoring punch as a combo guard.
Keita, meanwhile, is a human pogostick who can jump out of the gym for rebounds and lobs.
So far, nothing about the Pacers’ early camp lineups has come out of left field.
That could still change. The next few weeks, and especially the preseason, should tell the story of how the coaching staff really sees the depth chart taking shape.
In Other News...
Pacers May Have Found A New Lineup Piece They Needed
Kelly Oubre Jr. has quickly become one of the more intriguing additions in Pacers camp, and the early buzz around him has been encouraging. Indiana brought in the veteran small forward on a two-year contract, and head coach Rick Carlisle has already singled out his work since camp opened. For a team always looking to add length, energy and a bit more two-way pop on the wing, Oubre fits the kind of low-drama, high-upside role the roster can use.
Pacers GM Chad Buchanan pointed to Oubres defensive impact and shooting ability as the key reasons Indiana wanted him in the first place, and those traits could help him carve out a meaningful spot in Carlisles rotation. Oubre arrives with a solid track record from Philadelphia and career averages of 13.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, but the bigger question in Indianapolis is how quickly he can translate that experience into the kind of steady lineup piece the Pacers have been searching for. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Hype Comes Down To One Massive Tyrese Haliburton Question
The Pacers are heading into preseason with the kind of cautious buzz that usually follows a breakout year, only this time the conversation starts and ends with Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana knows how much its ceiling depends on the star guards health, and after recovering from a torn Achilles, his return has become the defining piece of the entire season preview. Bleacher Reports No. 16 spot in its preseason power rankings captures the mood pretty well, with enough optimism to see a path forward and enough skepticism to keep expectations in check.
Preseason games are about to offer the first real look at how far along the Pacers are, but the larger question hangs over everything they do. In a crowded Eastern Conference, Indiana can talk about depth, continuity and momentum all it wants, yet Haliburtons status is the thread that ties the whole operation together. If he looks like himself, the Pacers have a real chance to climb. If not, the early enthusiasm may turn out to be more fragile than it first appeared. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Still Have One Rotation Decision That Could Test Their Depth
With Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith back in the mix, the Pacers head into camp with most of their core pieces in place and a clearer picture of the top of the rotation than they had a year ago. Adding Kelly Oubre Jr. was meant to give the bench another proven scoring option, and it fits the broader push to make Indiana less reliant on a small group of players for big minutes every night.
The lingering question is the final spot in the nine-man rotation, where Jay Huff has emerged as a possible candidate but still has to show he can consistently swing games in the Pacers' favor. That decision matters because Indiana has seen how valuable depth can be for teams that survive the grind of a season, and it will have to decide whether it wants to prioritize upside, fit, or reliability when the rotation tightens. [Read more 🡒]