Tyrese Haliburton went down with a devastating injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June, the Pacers' hopes at a title all but dashed as a result. In the aftermath, the Thunder would hoist the trophy, and the Pacers learned Haliburton's fate: a torn Achilles tendon.
Haliburton joins two other high-profile players—Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard—who suffered the injury late last season.
Can Tyrese Haliburton rejoin the Pacers on the court this season?
Unfortunately, the likelihood that Haliburton will be able to get back on the court this season is near zero. The Pacers have held a hard line in their description of his timeline, with team president Kevin Pritchard relaying to the media that Haliburton will miss the entire season.
"Don’t get any hopes up that he will play,” Pritchard said in July.
It makes sense. While Tatum has flirted ever so slightly with the idea of making a comeback this year, even his return is considered highly unlikely, and his recovery began a month before Haliburton's. Haliburton's injury occurring in the last possible game of the season makes for the longest timeline imaginable relative to the 2025–26 season.
The goal is for Haliburton to get back in time for the start of the 2026–27 season. That should be a very manageable timeline, with most Achilles tears requiring a full year to get back to full health.
Pacers that will need to step up for Pacers' playoff hopes to remain alive
While common thinking might be that the Pacers should lie down, retool, and consider this a year off from competing for a playoff spot—with the obvious alternative being a shot at the draft lottery—you'd be mistaken.
It's simply not how the Pacers do business. Since the '99–00 season, Indy has missed the postseason just eight times. They've played in the sixth-most postseason games in that time span. Even amid a three-year hiatus from qualifying for the playoffs from 2021 to '23, there were efforts to remain competitive, including additions like Malcolm Brogdon (2019, trade sending draft picks out), Caris LeVert ('21, trade sending Victor Oladipo out), and Buddy Hield (as part of the trade that brought Haliburton to the franchise) around the rookies the Pacers added each year.
The Pacers, even when refocusing, typically make adjustments that keep their chances of competing high. Especially under Kevin Pritchard, that has been the case.
The players appear bought into that as well.
"But I think the thing we need to focus on is that we've established a culture, a style of play—and Rick has done a great job of that—and the standard is the standard. We obviously have to do things a little differently without an All-Star caliber point guard, but it's just everyone stepping up in a different role. We're not gonna change how we play," Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said on media day leading up to the season.
So, who will carry the proverbial torch this season with Haliburton sidelined the whole year?
Pascal Siakam will be the go-to star and scorer, most likely. He won a title with the Raptors and was integral to Indy's Finals run.
With Myles Turner leaving via free agency, Isiah Jackson is being thrust into a larger role as the possible starting center, but the position appears to be Indy's greatest source of decline from last year outside of Haliburton's role. James Wiseman remains an intriguing piece of the roster that, if Indy can manage to unlock, would do plenty for their chances of staying competitive. He tore his Achilles in his first game with the Pacers last year. He hasn't lived up to his pre-draft billing, largely because of injuries.
McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard all return to the fold this year after being major contributors last season.
Johnny Furphy, an early second-round pick in 2024, also figures to have an opportunity for a much expanded role after splitting time in the G League and NBA last year.
It'll be a tough year to be without their game-changing talent in Haliburton, but there's a world where Indiana can still be a postseason threat in the East.