Tyrese Haliburton made sure Iowa State students had a seat waiting for them when the Indiana Pacers opened preseason play at his old college stop.
Indiana’s first preseason game of the year comes Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Iowa State, and Haliburton bought tickets for the student section. The university then held a lottery so students could get in.
"I'm hosting all the students and we'll still have student sections, so I think that'll be fun," Haliburton told reporters in Indianapolis after practice Tuesday. "I don't know if it'll be all Pacers fans in there."
Haliburton’s tie to Iowa State runs deep. He spent two seasons there from 2018 to 2020 before going in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. The school is also where he met his now wife, Jade, and he proposed to her on Iowa State’s court when they got engaged.
"I think it'll be fun for everybody," Haliburton said Tuesday. "I know there's nobody as passionate about Iowa State as the current students."
On the floor, Haliburton remains the engine for Indiana. He turned in an excellent 2024-25 season, averaging 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while earning All-NBA Third Team honors. In a Pacers uniform, he has career averages of 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
Haliburton signed a five-year, $244 million extension in July 2023, and his deal carries salary figures of $48,924,624 this season, $52,298,736 in 2027-28 and $55,672,848 in 2028-29. Indiana is expected to start Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac this season.
The Pacers also enter the year with a few new faces. Larry Nance Jr., Kelly Oubre Jr. and Braden Smith joined the roster this offseason, and HoopsHype projected a bench that includes TJ McConnell, Ben Sheppard, Kelly Oubre, Obi Toppin, Jay Huff, Braden Smith, Quenton Jackson, Kobe Brown, Jarace Walker, Larry Nance Jr., Jalen Slawson and Johnny Furphy.
Indiana opens the 2026-27 regular season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans, and the franchise still has eyes on a bigger runway if Haliburton stays healthy and returns to form. He averaged 17.5 points and 8.8 assists in the regular season for his career and 17.9 points and 8.4 assists in the playoffs.
The Pacers may have won Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder had Haliburton not gotten hurt, a brutal swing for Indiana. Still, the team is looking ahead to 2026-27, and with the league’s landscape always shifting - even after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers - the sense remains that Haliburton could spend the rest of his NBA career in Indianapolis.
In Other News...
Tyrese Haliburton Gives Pacers Fans One Huge Reason To Watch Tonight
The Pacers finally get a real look at their new starting group tonight when they open preseason against the Timberwolves, and there is plenty of curiosity baked into the matchup. For Indiana, this is the first chance to see the lineup tested against another team after camp work, with the game offering an early read on how the pieces fit as the season approaches. Minnesota brings its own intrigue after an active offseason, so this is not just a tune-up for the Pacers but a first glimpse at where they stand.
Tyrese Haliburtons return from injury is the biggest reason Indiana fans will be paying attention, since his presence changes the tone of the entire operation. His availability gives the Pacers a centerpiece to build around again, and tonight should offer a useful look at how he moves with the new starting five around him. There are still plenty of questions left to answer, but this game at least starts to sketch out what Indiana can be once the games begin to count. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Championship Hopes May Come Down To One Deadline Decision
Tyrese Haliburton is back for the 2026-2027 season, but the Pacers are not exactly rolling into the year with a freshly restocked cupboard. Indiana missed out on the kind of draft break that can quietly change a teams ceiling, and after losing Myles Turner in free agency, the front office had to patch the middle of the roster by bringing in Ivica Zubac through a trade. It leaves the Pacers in a familiar but uncomfortable spot: good enough to matter, not yet complete enough to feel settled.
What happens next may hinge less on opening night than on February. With the Eastern Conference getting tougher and Indianas current core still needing help around Haliburton, the organization is expected to keep its powder dry for the 2027 trade deadline, when the right move could determine whether this season becomes a step forward or just another year of waiting on the edge of contention. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Preseason Opener Will Reveal Something Bigger Than The Score
The first preseason game will give the Pacers their initial live look at how this group is coming together, but it will not settle the biggest questions hanging over camp. Tyrese Haliburtons Achilles recovery remains a storyline worth monitoring, and the arrival of new faces such as Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ivica Zubac adds another layer to watch as Indiana starts sorting out rotations and roles.
What matters most early on is less about the final score and more about whether the group looks connected. For a team trying to build momentum for the season ahead, chemistry and morale can matter just as much as any box score detail, and this opener should offer at least a first glimpse of how well the Pacers are building that foundation. [Read more 🡒]