The Indiana Pacers are showing up near the top of the league’s long-view conversation.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes placed Indiana eighth in his future NBA power rankings for the next three years, a nod to a roster that still carries real upside even with the uncertainty that comes with an injured star and a shifting supporting cast.
The case for the Pacers starts with the names already in place. Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Obi Toppin give Indiana a core that still looks good on paper, and Bleacher Report pointed to the group’s depth and flexibility as reasons for optimism.
“Indy was a win from a championship in 2025 and could be even better this year with Ivica Zubac joining a recovered Tyrese Haliburton and a gracefully aging Pascal Siakam,” Bleacher Report wrote. “Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell are all still around from that Eastern Conference champion squad, and offseason addition Kelly Oubre Jr. deepens the rotation.
“If the Pacers get anything from Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard or Johnny Furphy, they'll supplement the entrenched vets with some younger options. That's the encouraging part.
The worry arises when considering the uncertainty of Zubac's fit, Haliburton's potentially bumpy recovery and Siakam's possible slippage as he begins his age-32 season in 2026-27. The only first-rounder the Pacers don't control is their 2031 selection, so they can tinker with trades if they need to.
Ultimately, though, this team's window depends on Haliburton and Co. proving they're the contenders they once were.”
Haliburton’s return is the biggest reason Indiana should be back in the playoff mix next season. The Pacers were hammered by his absence last year, winning only 19 games without their starting point guard.
Before the injury, Haliburton was coming off a huge 2024-25 season. 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’s 2025 run also adds weight to the optimism. The Pacers reached the NBA Finals and came one game from a title, with a Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder looking possible before Haliburton tore his Achilles. Indiana was winning when he went down in Oklahoma City.
That’s part of why there’s a sense that both the Pacers and Haliburton have plenty to prove once the new season arrives. Some observers are already doubting whether Indiana can still be a contender, and whether Haliburton can return to the All-Star level he had before the injury.
The Pacers open the 2026-27 regular season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Through his career, Haliburton has averaged 17.5 points and 8.8 assists in the regular season, along with 17.9 points and 8.4 assists in the playoffs. For Indiana, the wait is almost over.
In Other News...
Bennedict Mathurins Exit From Indiana Looks Different After Latest Twist
Bennedict Mathurins path out of Indiana has taken another turn, and it now looks very different from the simple trade-deadline exit it first appeared to be. After the Pacers sent him to the Clippers in February, Los Angeles kept him in the mix by tendering a qualifying offer, a move that left his future tied up in restricted free agency rather than settled by the trade alone.
Now Mathurin has signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, complete with a player option on the second season. His representatives had previously pushed the Clippers to rescind that qualifying offer, a request that would have taken him out of restricted free agency, and the latest agreement gives his departure from Indiana a new backdrop as the next phase of his career begins elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Just Unveiled A New Look Fans Will Have Strong Opinions On
The Pacers gave fans their first look at a new Statement Edition uniform this week, rolling it out in NBA 2K27 screenshots that featured Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac. The design keeps a gold base but adds navy pinstripes, a look that is sure to draw reactions the moment it makes the jump from a digital reveal to the real floor.
The jersey also carries familiar touches like the Jordan Brand logo and a Lucas Oil patch, folding a fresh design into the teams broader identity heading into the new season. Between the uniform unveiling, the games player ratings and the rest of the offseason churn, Indiana still has plenty of details keeping fans engaged before the next chapter begins. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Have One Final Roster Spot And A Real Rotation Decision
The Timberwolves salary-cap housekeeping around Jonathan Kuminga sent John Konchar to Utah, and it also brought a familiar kind of fringe-roster conversation back into focus for Indiana. Konchar has long been the sort of connector teams talk themselves into because he does a little of everything, plays with energy and can fit alongside a lot of different lineups. For a Pacers club with one roster spot left, that kind of versatility is easy to imagine as useful in the regular season.
The bigger question is whether Indiana needs to force the move at all. The Pacers are not in a place where they have to fill that last opening just to fill it, especially if the player would be more of a depth piece than someone who can stay on the floor when the games tighten up. In that sense, the front offices standard is clear: the final addition has to have a real path into the playoff rotation, not just a seat on the bench. [Read more 🡒]