The Pacers’ offseason hasn’t been busy in the transaction column, but the roster still looks very different heading into October. The return of Haliburton, a full season of Zubac, the addition of Oubre Jr., and the hope of a healthier group overall all point to a team with a lot more flexibility than it had a year ago.
Tyrese Haliburton is expected to be back from the opening tip, and the minutes picture should start a little lighter than what he was carrying before. The last time he played, he was at 33.6 minutes per game, but that number could dip early as he ramps up before climbing back to that nightly workload.
There’s also a chance the Pacers are careful with him on some back-to-backs, and maybe even in the face of smaller bumps and bruises over the long haul. Even so, the expectation is that he’ll be the same kind of star, with huge numbers by early 2027, if not sooner.
Behind him, TJ McConnell remains the main backup. His minutes have gone down for five straight seasons, and a range of 16-17 minutes per night feels right when he’s healthy.
Andrew Nembhard can also handle some point guard duty, especially if Haliburton or McConnell miss time. Quenton Jackson had a solid season and could get some run there too, while Braden Smith figures to spend a lot of time with the Noblesville Boom in his first season.
Smith might need a night with multiple injuries to crack the Pacers’ rotation, but that kind of scenario isn’t exactly rare in today’s NBA.
Nembhard’s return to the two changes the shape of the backcourt. He had a strong season at point guard, putting up nearly 17 points and 8 assists in that role, and a little more time off the ball could help him on defense again. He should be one of the team’s top-two players in minutes.
The wing rotation is where the puzzle gets more interesting. Kelly Oubre Jr. could be used as the backup two or the backup three, and that may shift from night to night depending on how the Pacers want to line things up. Obi Toppin at backup five could create more minutes for Oubre and Jarace Walker together, and there’s also a path where those two are paired anyway, which would cut into Ben Sheppard’s workload.
Oubre Jr. is projected to land around 30 minutes per game, a number that lines up with what Bennedict Mathurin gave this team as the sixth man two seasons ago. Sheppard should still matter, but his minutes are expected to fall to about 17-18 a night.
Aaron Nesmith is still the starter at the three, no matter what people may be saying on X. He played a career-high 29.7 minutes per game last season, but a return closer to his 2023-2024 workload makes sense, with an average around 28 minutes.
Oubre Jr. will also spend time at the three, as will Jarace Walker. Unless Walker is moved in a trade, he looks set for a meaningful role at about 24 minutes per game.
Johnny Furphy is coming back from injury and should be in the mix when healthy, while Jalen Slawson is a possible dark horse for the rotation.
Pascal Siakam is back to lead the group again after averaging 33.2 minutes per game last season, though he was held to 62 games. The year before that, he was at 32.7 minutes, which is closer to what he may settle into this season.
Obi Toppin, who was limited to just 24 games last year, should see his role grow with backup power forward minutes and some time at the five. He could get close to his career-high from 2023-2024, when he averaged around 21.1 minutes per game.
At center, Ivica Zubac is positioned to have the kind of season Pacers fans haven’t really seen yet because of his post-trade limitations. The expectation is 30-32 minutes a night and big production.
Behind him, Micah Potter’s contract made sense because he and Jay Huff can give Indiana depth at the position. The two should split similar roles on different nights, with both landing around 17-18 minutes per game.
On paper, the Pacers have the kind of depth that can keep them competitive at a high level. They’re built to keep pressure on opponents for 48 minutes and to mix and match closing groups in ways Rick Carlisle and his staff couldn’t always do before.
Last season’s injury mess was too much for any team to survive, and the hope now is that better health lets this roster show what it can really do. If that happens, another big year in Indy is in play.
In Other News...
Pacers Suddenly Face A Real DeMar DeRozan Dilemma
DeMar DeRozans sudden availability after Sacramento waived him on July 6 has created a fresh layer of offseason intrigue for teams looking for a proven scorer on a short-term deal, and Indiana is right there in the conversation. The Pacers have been linked to the idea of bringing in the veteran wing on a minimum salary, which would give them another established creator without a long-term commitment, while also opening the door to a reunion with Pascal Siakam.
The fit, though, is not as simple as the name value suggests. Indiana does not have cap space at the moment, so it would need to clear room to make a move work, and adding DeRozan would likely force a tough roster decision elsewhere. For a team trying to balance present-day competitiveness with its younger pieces, the question is whether a player of DeRozans profile is worth the squeeze if it means reshaping the back end of the roster to get him in the building. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Talent Is Turning Heads On The International Stage
Ivica Zubac has been a steady presence for Croatia, and his latest outing in a win over Israel only added to that reputation. The former Pacers center was efficient around the rim, controlled the glass and helped set the tone in a game Croatia handled well, while Andrew Nembhard continued to show the kind of poise Canada has come to expect from him in its victory over Jamaica.
There was more Pacers-adjacent production elsewhere on the international stage, too, with Ethan Thompson giving Puerto Rico a lift in its win over the Bahamas. For Indiana fans, it is another reminder that several familiar names are getting meaningful reps in high-leverage settings, and the broader question is how much of that momentum carries back once the international window closes. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Avoided The Haliburton Siakam Cap Squeeze Haunting Contenders
The Pacers have quietly put themselves in a far better place than a lot of contenders when it comes to the salary-cap squeeze that can turn a good roster into a brittle one. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are already the center of Indianas present and future, but their combined cap hit is still manageable, leaving the team with room to breathe instead of immediately forcing hard choices around the edges of the roster.
That matters because the league keeps offering reminders of how quickly things can get tight once a pair of stars starts eating up too much of the payroll. Clevelands recent Donovan Mitchell extension and Bostons decision to move Jaylen Brown both underscore the risk, while Indiana has another layer of protection built in since the real pressure from those deals does not arrive until 2028-29. The Pacers may still have to navigate what Siakam looks like later in the contract, but for now they have avoided the kind of cap trap that haunts so many hopefuls. [Read more 🡒]