The Indiana Pacers have spent the offseason in an odd spot: close enough to the top of the East to matter, but quiet enough that plenty of the conversation has drifted elsewhere.
That shift makes some sense. Indiana was a game away from becoming NBA champions just two seasons ago, then followed that up by reaching the Eastern Conference Finals the season before. But after a horrible year, the buzz around the Pacers has faded, and the reasons are pretty clear.
One is out of their hands. Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and then missed all of last year, a blow that changed the team’s outlook almost immediately. The other is the way the conference has been reshaped around them.
The East has gotten louder and flashier this offseason. The Miami Heat added Giannis Antetotkounmpo.
The Toronto Raptors brought in Kawhi Leonard. The Philedelphia76ers landed Jaylen Brown.
Those are the kinds of moves that grab attention and can alter the balance of power.
Indiana, by contrast, has mostly been building without the same spotlight. The Pacers did make good signings and added Ivica Zubac during the past season.
They are not the exact same team that reached the Finals, and the argument here is that they may actually be better. But in the offseason, storylines usually win out over steady improvement, and Indiana hasn’t created the kind of splash that keeps people talking.
Still, the answer to whether the Pacers should be worried about the rest of the East is no. They should still be right in the mix when the conference race tightens up again, as long as they’re healthy enough to show what they really are.
One view of it puts the challenge in plain terms: “The Pacers could have an even better team than the one that went to the NBA Finals 13 months ago. But that doesn’t guarantee anything in an ever-changing Eastern Conference.
It will be a different dynamic, and they’ll also no longer be able to sneak up on anybody. The Knicks, Celtics, Cavs, and Pistons will remain tough, and now teams like the Heat, Raptors and Sixers should be in the mix for more.
That does not even include other talented teams that could surprise, and a bottom third of the conference that should also be improved. The Pacers should be in the mix as well, but they will have their work cut out for them.”
Another take is even more direct about the idea of concern: “Worried? I do not think that is the word I would use to describe how they should feel about the East.
Look, the Eastern Conference has become increasingly formidable following the additions of Giannis to Miami, Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, and Kawhi’s return to Toronto. The road to the NBA Finals is undoubtedly more treacherous, with several obstacles in Indiana’s way.
But let’s not rewrite history and pretend the Pacers’ path to the Finals in 2024-25 was some leisurely stroll through a depleted conference. Indiana was 24 minutes away from conquering the Larry O’Brien, and that would’ve required them defeating one of the best team’s in recent memory.
Indiana is a sleeping giant heading into the 2026-27 season, and it’s not so much about how worried they should be about the other foes in the East, but how worried they should be about the Pacers.”
In Other News...
Pacers May Have Found A Summer League Big They Can't Ignore
Indianas summer league group has already given the front office a little bit of everything, from an overtime loss to the Sixers to a win over the Cavaliers, but one of the quieter developments has been the play of Rienk Mast. The 6-foot-10 forward has brought a steady inside presence while working on an Exhibit-10 deal, and his recent showing gave the Pacers another look at a player who has spent time in Europe and in college at Bradley and Nebraska.
Masts path has been anything but ordinary, and that matters for a team always searching for useful depth at the margins of the roster. He has already shown enough in this setting to put himself in the conversation for a two-way contract or a G-League spot, and with Indiana still sorting through its summer league options, his mix of size and experience is hard to overlook. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Just Made Another Tough Depth Call After Nance Move
Micah Potters run with the Pacers ended the same way a lot of roster-fight stories do in late summer, with a team trying to balance usefulness against flexibility. The five-year NBA veteran had his best statistical season in Indiana, averaging 9.7 points and five rebounds in 47 appearances, and his offense gave the Pacers a workable depth option at center.
Still, Indiana chose to move on after adding Larry Nance Jr., a move that brought more positional versatility and helped the front office trim salary near the first apron. Potter was always more of a fringe rotation piece than a nightly answer because of the defensive questions, so the Pacers opted for the cleaner roster fit even if it meant giving up a player who had carved out a real role. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Just Got An Uncomfortable Early Look At A Real Problem
Las Vegas Summer League is supposed to be about first impressions, and the Pacers got one they probably would have preferred to avoid. In a 100-93 loss, the player taken No. 22 in the draft carved them up for a game-high 24 points, adding 6 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal while controlling the game in a way Indiana could not quite answer.
For a roster trying to sort out who can hold up on the perimeter and who can keep an offense from getting comfortable, that kind of showing lands with some extra weight. It was only one game in July, but it was also the sort of early look that can expose a real issue before the Pacers have much time to smooth it over. [Read more 🡒]