The Indiana Pacers are getting real buzz before the new NBA season even tips, and Charles Barkley is right in the middle of it.
On The Bill Simmons Podcast, Barkley and Simmons were talking through the Eastern Conference when Indiana came up fast. Simmons opened the door with a simple line: "Indiana is back."
Barkley didn’t hesitate.
"Indiana's going to be really good," Barkley said. "Indiana's going to be one of my sleepers."
He doubled down on that view by pointing to the moves Indiana has made and the return of Tyrese Haliburton.
"People say, who's your sleeper this year? I said, man, Indiana's going to be really good," Barkley said.
"I said, because the Zubac trade, they got screwed in the lottery because they could have got another good player. But having Zubac back.
Zubac is a hell of a player and [so is] Haliburton."
That kind of praise carries weight, and it’s easy to see why Barkley is buying in.
Indiana is coming off a rough 19-63 season, but the roster heading into this year looks a lot different. Haliburton is back to run the offense, and Ivica Zubac gives Rick Carlisle a starting center who should help inside on both defense and the glass.
The Pacers also brought in Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr., adding to a group that already includes Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin.
Of course, there’s still plenty of projection here. Haliburton has to get back to his previous level, and Indiana has to show last season can be put in the rearview mirror for good.
But Barkley isn’t talking about the Pacers as just a team trying to claw back into the picture. He thinks they can be legitimately good.
What stood out even more was Simmons agreeing right away. Two of the league’s most recognizable voices landed on Indiana independently as a team to watch, and that kind of momentum can turn into something bigger quickly.
After a season spent near the bottom of the standings, the Pacers may not stay under the radar for much longer.
In Other News...
Pacers Zubac Trade Just Got Even Harder To Defend
The Pacers decision to send a 2026 first-round pick and other assets to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown already had the look of a move worth revisiting, and the back end of the deal has only made it more complicated. What was once a simple future-pick transaction has turned into a reminder of how much draft capital can change hands in the NBA long before anyone knows exactly what it will be worth.
Now the leagues punishment of the Clippers for salary-cap violations tied to Kawhi Leonard has added another layer, because one of the first-rounders lost in the penalty package was the 2029 pick that originally came from Indiana. The Pacers will not get that pick back, and with it gone from the draft altogether, the trade sits in an even tougher spot to justify from Indianas side. [Read more 🡒]