Fresh off a NBA Finals run, the Indiana Pacers were supposed to make noise again next season, but Tyrese Haliburton’s heartbreaking absence is changing that excitement for the team into a real-time crisis they’ll have to solve internally.
Haliburton will miss the entire 2025–26 NBA season due to a torn right Achilles tendon sustained in Game 7 of the Finals. At just 25, he was the mastermind behind an electrifying offense, averaging 18.6 points, 9.2 assists and 1.4 steals during the regular season, with All‑NBA Third Team honors to show for it.
Adding to the blow, longtime defensive anchor Myles Turner left for the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, signing a four-year, $109M contract. Turner explained it was about “staying competitive,” joining a championship-focused Milwaukee group.
That two-pronged loss — the cerebral engine and the interior presence — creates an entirely new challenge. The Pacers go from Eastern Conference Finals hopefuls to a team forced to reinvent on the fly.
Haliburton’s imprint was undeniable. He dragged the offense, made pressure reads and controlled chaos. Without him, the team loses its primary creator in transition and late game, and the offense must shift from Haliburton-run to a more decentralized model.
Turner’s value transcended his stats. Averaging over 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per night, he anchored the paint and was a mentor to the younger bigs. His departure leaves Indiana without a true rim protector or consistent floor-spacing big.
So how can the Pacers stay relevant in the East?
First, leadership needs to be redefined. Andrew Nembhard can step up as a secondary ball‑handler — but he’s not close to being elite. Bennedict Mathurin might see more initiation responsibility, leaning into his developing shot-creation, but he’s more a scoring wing than a traditional point guard. Rookie Kam Jones could get run as an on-ball creator, though counting on him early carries risk.
Second, the Pacers will need to recalibrate their identity. With no dominant backcourt orchestrator and no paint deterrent, Indiana must lean into team defense, energy and sharing the scoring load. Building around players like Turner’s replacements — possibly Isaiah Jackson inside and Ben Sheppard with Nembhard’s wing defense, or even midseason acquisitions — will be its best path.
Head coach Rick Carlisle’s experience becomes invaluable now. Structuring rotations that emphasize ball movement, help-side defense and smart spacing can compensate partially for missing stars. Expect more zone, more midrange willingness and a slower pace where Haliburton’s orchestration isn’t needed as much.
Still, this season won’t mirror the 2024–25 surge. The Pacers aren’t likely to repeat a Finals run without Haliburton’s playmaking or Turner’s anchoring. Instead, the focus should shift to growth and resilience. If Indiana can keep pace, build defensive grit and let players like Mathurin, Nembhard and Jackson take developmental steps, the late-season return of Haliburton could spark a playoff push.
The East opened up quickly — thanks to injuries and roster churn around Boston and Milwaukee. The Pacers are slipping into a wild-card tier, but they still have depth, experience and a star that will return midseason.
Can they thrive without Haliburton? Realistically, no — not for a sustained contender stretch. But they can compete. If they maintain cohesion, lean on smart coaching and keep belief alive, the return of Haliburton could redefine the trajectory of their season.
