One analyst is buying all the way in on the Indiana Pacers’ starting five.
In a Bleacher Report piece titled “Ranking Every NBA Starting Lineup After LeBron James Signs with Philadelphia 76ers,” Greg Swartz placed Indiana fourth overall, behind only the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks.
That ranking is built around a projected Pacers group of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac.
“Eighty percent of this starting lineup was in the NBA Finals just over a year ago, and Zubac is an upgrade over Myles Turner in a lot of areas,” Swartz wrote. “The core of Haliburton, Nembhard, Nesmith and Siakam had a net rating of plus-29.1 without Turner on the floor in 2025-26, proving that they'll survive the loss of their former starting center just fine.
“This will be one of the league's best lineups once again with the return of Haliburton, especially with the 7-foot Zubac (14.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 59.8 percent shooting last season) now in the middle.”
Indiana’s offseason included the additions of Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. in free agency, but the biggest swing came last season when the team acquired Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers.
That move came with a steep price. The Pacers lost their first-round pick in the 2026 draft because of the trade.
Indiana needed to finish in the top four to keep the pick after sending it to the Clippers with protections attached to the Zubac deal. The trade sent two first-round selections from Indiana to Los Angeles: one in 2029 and either this year’s first-rounder if it landed outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-round pick if it did not.
With the Washington Wizards moving up in the lottery, the Pacers ended up fifth, and the pick went to the Clippers.
That meant Indiana passed on a chance to draft AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson. Now the franchise is banking on Zubac delivering at an All-Star level next season.
The Pacers were stuck last season without Haliburton, winning only 19 games. With him back, they should be back in the playoff mix next season.
Haliburton’s 2024-25 season was a strong one, too. 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.
After that kind of year, the wait to see him back on the floor is almost over.
In Other News...
Tyrese Haliburtons Latest Pacers Crossover Is Pure Tyrese Era Energy
The Pacers have spent the year feeling a little more plugged into the pop-culture conversation than most NBA teams, and Tyrese Haliburton has been right at the center of it. Rob49s 2025 single "WTHELLY," featuring G Herbo, picked up plenty of traction online while name-checking the All-Star, then started showing up in a more visible way around Indiana basketball, with the rapper eventually taking in Pacers games from courtside and the phrase finding its way into interviews with Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.
What makes the whole thing fit the Haliburton era is how naturally it has spilled beyond a one-off mention and into the teams everyday conversation. Pacers senior vice president Tyler Beadlescomb has been vocal about appreciating the songs reach, and John Haliburton has publicly backed it too, adding to the sense that this crossover has become part of the Pacers broader brand rather than just a passing novelty. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Have A Rotation Debate That Could Reshape Key Roles
The Pacers are heading into a rotation conversation that could shape more than just nightly substitutions. With five starters expected to log 35 or more minutes apiece, there simply is not much room left for the second unit, and the addition of Kelly Oubre Jr. only tightens a bench picture that already includes returning pieces like TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin.
What makes it trickier is how many players are fighting for the same sliver of court time. Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard are among the names trying to carve out a role, and both are restricted free agents next summer, which only adds another layer to the decision-making. For Indiana, this is less about filling minutes than sorting out which young players can still be part of the long-term picture when the rotation gets squeezed. [Read more 🡒]