Indiana Pacers fans finally have the dates they’ve been waiting for, and the 2026-2027 season starts with a little bit of road work before the home crowd gets its turn.
The Pacers open on Wednesday, October 21st in New Orleans, then return for their home opener against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, October 23rd. That one should carry plenty of buzz with the expected home return of Tyrese Haliburton.
The schedule starts to stack up quickly from there. The Pacers’ first NBA Cup game comes on Friday, October 30th in Miami, and the Cup slate keeps rolling through November.
They’ll host New York on November 13th, travel to Cleveland on the 20th, and then welcome LeBron James and the Sixers on November 27th. That Black Friday matchup stands out even more because it comes against the new-look Sixers and fits into the Pacers’ annual Black Friday game tradition.
Another familiar Pacers date is back on the calendar, too. On New Year’s Eve, they’ll host the Orlando Magic in the afternoon at 3 PM.
The league also handed Indiana a few other notable checkpoints. They’ll host the Denver Nuggets in Mexico City, Mexico on Saturday, November 7, and Haliburton will return to Oklahoma City on February 5th. The Pacers also get four home-stands of four games or more, while a five-game Western trip in December looks like one of the toughest stretches on the slate.
As for the grind of the season, Indiana has 14 back-to-backs, which sits near the league average. They won’t be on Christmas Day, and their current prime-time total is light at 11 games, with nine of those on Peacock or Amazon Prime.
That may not matter much to the Pacers, who are already getting tagged in some early projections as anything from fourth in the East to barely a play-in team. Either way, they’ve got a full schedule now - and plenty of chances to push back on those expectations.
In Other News...
Pacers Two Way Picture Just Took An Important Turn
Cole Anthonys move to Melbourne United is another reminder that the global market can still offer a real path for NBA players looking to reshape their careers, and the former first-round pick is treating it as a development stop rather than a payday. The six-year veteran has landed a one-year deal with one of the NBLs biggest brands, joining a league that has increasingly become a destination for players trying to reset their trajectory while staying on the radar of NBA teams.
For Indiana, the more immediate ripple is at the back end of the roster. Reports say two-way player Ethan Thompson is expected to head to Serbian power KK Partizan, a development that would alter the Pacers two-way picture just as teams continue sorting out their final offseason pieces. It is the kind of transaction that can look minor at first glance, but for a team still balancing flexibility, it carries real roster implications. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers May Finally Have Room For The Summer Roster Favorite
Ethan Thompsons stint with the Pacers appears to be winding down, and his possible next stop could be overseas with Partizan Belgrade. Thompson spent last season on a two-way contract and got into 32 games for Indiana, while also bringing plenty of G League experience to the organization.
For the Pacers, the bigger significance is the roster math. A move like this would clear the logjam at the two-way level and give Indiana the flexibility to keep moving toward a final roster decision, with Braden Smith now positioned to potentially land either a standard deal or a two-way contract. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Sets Early Expectations For Pacers Fit With Ivica Zubac
Tyrese Haliburton isnt worried about the lack of an offseason workout with Ivica Zubac, even as the Pacers look ahead to integrating a new big man into the mix. Haliburton said the two have not gotten on the floor together this summer, but he still sees the partnership as one that can work, with Zubac expected to come back to Indiana after playing for his country in September.
The bigger adjustment, Haliburton acknowledged, may come from simply learning a different kind of center than the ones he has played with before. Zubac brings a distinct style, which should mean a transition period early on, but Haliburton sounded confident the fit will come with time once the Pacers get everyone in the same place and the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]