The Indiana Pacers have landed in The Athletic’s top 15 in its latest NBA power rankings, and Tyrese Haliburton’s return is the biggest reason why.
Haliburton is set to be back next season after missing last season, and that changes the picture for Indiana in a major way. Without him, the Pacers had a rough year and finished with just 19 wins. With him, they’re back in the playoff conversation.
Indiana also added to the roster in free agency this summer, bringing in Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. The team’s biggest move, though, came last season when it acquired Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers.
That trade carried a real cost. The Pacers lost their first-round pick in the 2026 draft because of the deal.
Indiana needed to finish in the top four to keep its pick after sending it to the Clippers with protections for Zubac. The agreement included two first-rounders heading to Los Angeles: one in 2029 and either this year’s first if it landed outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.
Once the Washington Wizards moved up in the lottery, Indiana fell to fifth, and the pick went to the Clippers.
The Pacers are widely expected to open next season with Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Zubac in the starting five.
Haliburton’s 2024-25 season was a strong one before the injury. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game and earned All-NBA Third Team honors. He also posted career averages of 17.5 points and 8.8 assists in the regular season, along with 17.9 points and 8.4 assists in the playoffs.
Indiana’s run to the 2025 NBA Finals was impressive, too. The Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Knicks before falling to the Thunder in seven games. Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7.
The wait for his return is almost over.
In Other News...
Tyrese Haliburton Just Added To A Wild Pacers Draft What-If
Before Tyrese Haliburton ever became the face of the Pacers rise, he was already thinking about how the 2020 NBA Draft might land. He said he and his agent reached out to the Suns with hopes of being taken at No. 10, a spot that would have placed him in Phoenix before the draft board broke another way and Jalen Smith became the pick instead.
The fit looked reasonable at the time, with Ricky Rubio handling the point for the Suns before they quickly moved on and traded for Chris Paul shortly after the draft. Indiana eventually got Smith later in a deal of its own, and the odd little circle of that night now looks even stranger with Haliburton having turned into a two-time All-Star and All-NBA guard who helped lead the Pacers to the 2025 NBA Finals. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers May Have Found More Than Depth In Kelly Oubre Jr
The Pacers added Kelly Oubre Jr. on a two-year contract, and the fit has already started to look like more than just a routine depth move. Indiana has been looking to round out its rotation with players who can bring juice on both ends, and Oubres track record as a defender who can also space the floor gives the move a little more upside than a typical bench signing.
NBA analyst Zach Buckley went as far as to project Oubre as a possible Sixth Man of the Year finalist in the 2026-27 season, which says plenty about the kind of impact some around the league think he can make. Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan also pointed to Oubres defense and shooting when discussing his role, a sign that Indiana sees him as someone who can help right away while still leaving room for a bigger payoff down the line. [Read more 🡒]