ESPN’s Zach Kram put the Indiana Pacers in a crowded group of teams with real upside, slotting them alongside the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors as “high-upside Finals contenders.”
For Indiana, that label comes with a pretty obvious asterisk: everything hinges on Tyrese Haliburton getting back to full strength. The Pacers were buried last season without their starting point guard, managing only 19 wins while he was out.
Haliburton’s 2024-25 season, though, reminded everyone why the Pacers view him as the engine of the whole operation. 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.
Indiana also made a run all the way to the 2025 NBA Finals and came within one game of the title. The Pacers were winning in Oklahoma City when Haliburton tore his Achilles, and the what-if hangs over everything that followed. There’s at least a case to be made that Indiana could have beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 if he had stayed healthy.
That’s part of why next season carries so much anticipation around Haliburton and the Pacers. Some around the league already doubt Indiana can contend again, and others aren’t convinced Haliburton will look like the same All-Star-caliber player once he returns. The Pacers, and Haliburton, will have plenty of motivation to answer that talk.
Indiana opens the 2026-27 regular season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The numbers across Haliburton’s career still back up the optimism. In the regular season, he’s at 17.5 points and 8.8 assists per game, and in the playoffs he’s produced 17.9 points and 8.4 assists per game.
There’s also the larger roster picture, and it’s not clean. Indiana made a blockbuster trade last season to land Zubac from the LA Clippers, and the price was steep. The Pacers ended up losing their first-round pick in the 2026 draft because of that deal.
The protections on the pick made the math simple: Indiana needed to finish in the top four to keep it. The trade sent two first-rounders to the Clippers - 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.
When the Washington Wizards moved up in the lottery and Indiana landed fifth, the pick went to the Clippers.
That meant the Pacers passed on a shot at AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson.
So now the bet is on Zubac to deliver at an All-Star level next season alongside Siakam and Haliburton.
In Other News...
Ben Sheppard Still Has One Real Shot To Earn Pacers Minutes
Ben Sheppards first two seasons in Indiana have not exactly produced a clear-cut rotation answer, but the Pacers still have a need that fits his profile. As a late first-round pick in the 2023 draft, he entered the league with some runway, and the Pacers are still looking for a fourth wing behind their established options, which keeps the door open for a player who can space the floor and hold up defensively.
Sheppard has at least given himself a better foundation than he had before, with his shooting climbing to league average and a case for defensive versatility if he can translate it into trust from the staff. The issue now is less about raw talent than opportunity and consistency, because his minutes will depend on whether he can meet the teams standards and beat out the other candidates competing for the same spot. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Final Roster Spot Could Come Down To One Familiar Presence
The Pacers still have one roster spot open, and the name hanging around that decision is a familiar one in James Johnson. Indiana already knows what it gets with the veteran, who spent time with the team from 2022 to 2025 and carved out a role that went well beyond the box score. In a locker room built around younger pieces and larger ambitions, Johnson has been valued for his presence, his mentoring and the kind of edge that can steady a group over the course of a long season.
General manager Chad Buchanan made clear the organization holds Johnson in high regard, which keeps a return in play even if it is not immediate. Financial limitations mean any move would have to wait until November 5, leaving the Pacers with a little more time before they decide whether to bring back one of their most trusted veterans. For now, the spot remains open, and so does the question of whether Indiana wants its final piece to be someone already familiar with the room. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Face A Delicate Tyrese Haliburton Decision Next Season
Tyrese Haliburton is expected to be back in the Pacers lineup next season after missing the previous season with an Achilles tendon tear, and his return immediately raises the kind of balancing act Indiana would prefer to have. ESPN reports the team may lean cautious with his workload early on, a sensible approach for a player whose presence changes the ceiling of the entire roster and whose long-term health matters just as much as any early-season win total.
Haliburton signed a five-year extension with Indiana in 2023, and the Pacers are clearly thinking beyond the opening months of next season. The goal is to have him ready when it matters most, with the broader expectation that he will anchor a strong starting group for 2026-27, but the path from opening night to playoff time may require patience along the way. [Read more 🡒]