Indiana’s early-season rotation took another hit with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined by a left hamstring strain, a new injury that will keep the Pacers star out for the time being, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
For now, Indiana and Haliburton are still sorting out a firmer timeline.
The Pacers are 2-2 through four games, with wins over the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets and losses to the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks. That start has come with Haliburton producing at an elite level before the injury, averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists while shooting 51.6% from the field, 37.0% from 3-point range and 86.7% at the line.
Indiana is expected to be careful with him going forward. Haliburton already spent all of last season recovering from the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Pacers guard’s resume keeps growing when he’s on the floor. The two-time All-Star posted 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game in 2024-25 and earned All-NBA Third Team honors.
Haliburton’s place in Indiana has been locked in for a while. He signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the Pacers in July 2023 after being acquired from the Sacramento Kings in 2022. Indiana can sign him to another extension after this season, and that will likely happen.
Opening night against the Pelicans also carried extra meaning for Haliburton, with plenty of Indiana fans in the building. His wife, Jade, whom he married this past offseason, was there, along with his parents, John and Brenda Haliburton, and his two brothers. Also in attendance were his agent Aaron Mintz, shooting coach Drew Hanlen, marketing representative Kristina Kozica and other friends.
The Pacers are dealing with another injury elsewhere, too. Center Ivica Zubac is out after suffering a left ankle injury against the Nets, and he left Barclays Center on crutches.
Zubac has averaged 9.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists this season while shooting 60.0% from the field and 50.0% from the foul line.
Indiana’s roster troubles also connect to next year’s draft. The Pacers lost their first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Mother's Day during the draft lottery because of the Zubac trade with the Clippers last season. Indiana had to land in the top four to keep the pick after sending it with protections to Los Angeles, and the deal included two future first-rounders for the Clippers: one in 2029 and either this year’s first if it fell outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.
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Pacers Suddenly Have A Tyrese Haliburton Problem Before 76ers Game
The Pacers injury report is suddenly carrying more weight than usual ahead of their matchup with the 76ers, and Tyrese Haliburton is right at the center of it. Indiana listed the star guard as questionable with left hamstring tightness, a development that matters even more as the team tries to build momentum after a rough previous season and continues working Haliburton back into form following his torn Achilles.
Indiana is also dealing with several other injury concerns, leaving the rotation a little more unsettled than the matchup on paper might suggest. Philadelphia, by comparison, has a shorter list of absences with four players unavailable, so the Pacers may have to manage both the game plan and the roster picture at once before they even get to tipoff. [Read more 🡒]
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For Indiana, it was the kind of lighthearted scene that can travel fast in a season still finding its footing, with the Pacers sitting at 2-2. It also underscored how quickly Siakam has settled into the teams orbit, comfortable enough to poke fun at his coach while giving the fan base something to enjoy beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Suddenly Have A Tyrese Haliburton Problem They Can't Ignore
Tyrese Haliburtons latest injury puts the Pacers in a difficult spot at a time when their backcourt depth is already being tested. The point guard has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will be out for some time, leaving Indiana without its usual offensive organizer while the team waits for a clearer sense of the injurys severity.
Rick Carlisle said Haliburton will meet with team doctors and a hamstring specialist for further evaluation, which is the next step in figuring out how long this actually lingers. The timing is especially awkward because T.J. McConnell is also out with a hamstring strain, and Andrew Nembhard is questionable because of neck soreness, so Indiana suddenly has real questions to answer at guard if the absences keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]