Pacers Bright Future Becomes Much Cloudier Because of Tyrese Haliburton's Injury

Al Arabiya

5 hours ago

Tyrese Haliburton led the Indiana Pacers to unexpected heights after their 10–15 start. His historic postseason run, filled with incredible plays, buzzer-beating winners, and unprecedented stat lines, propelled the Pacers to their second NBA Finals appearance, bringing them within one victory of their first championship.
Following an apparent Achilles tendon injury in Sunday night's Game 7 loss, the question arises: can the Pacers contend next season if their top playmaker misses the entire season? Coach Rick Carlisle remains optimistic. 'He will be back,' Carlisle said after the 103–91 loss at Oklahoma City. 'I don't have any medical information about what's what, what may or may not have happened. But he'll be back in time, and I believe he'll make a full recovery.'
A healthy Haliburton undoubtedly strengthens the Pacers. They likely wouldn't have reached this point without him orchestrating three incredible rallies from seven points down in the final 50 seconds of regulation in three weeks. His injury in the biggest game in franchise history was a double blow for Indiana, losing both their leader and the championship.
'We just kept battling because we wanted to make Indiana proud, make our fans proud,' three-time All-Star Pascal Siakam said. 'We tried our best, but we've got to be strong. It's hard to look forward into the future after you lose like this.'
Questions about Haliburton's playing status complicate the offseason for Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard. However, there are silver linings. At 25, Haliburton is young enough to regain his pre-injury form, and medical advances could shorten the expected 12-month recovery. Many players, including some older than Haliburton, have made full comebacks. Siakam is confident Haliburton will do the same.
'I know there's more coming; it's just a tough situation,' Siakam said. 'I think back a couple of years, and basketball was just not fun, you know, and I got traded here, and these guys, they just gave me a boost, and playing with these guys is so incredible. I found joy with so much swagger and happiness.'
Haliburton's positive personality, even facing adversity, will continue to be a key feature for Indiana. Players like Siakam will ensure this. Indiana also begins next season with a strong supporting cast and room to grow defensively.
Indiana's deep rotation, with its fast tempo, routinely wore down playoff opponents–a model they could replicate next season, as they have the previous two, even without Haliburton. Nine of Indiana's top 10 players are under contract for 2025–26, with starting center Myles Turner the sole exception. Turner's cap hold is estimated at slightly less than $30 million. If he re-signs for a similar amount, Indiana could avoid exceeding the salary cap with another move.
The Pacers have strong guard play from Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell, as well as emerging defender Ben Sheppard. Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin also demonstrated scoring prowess and defensive ability in the postseason, giving Indiana the toughness and flexibility to potentially overcome Haliburton's absence. His absence could create more minutes for younger players like Mathurin, Sheppard, and forward Jarace Walker, a 2023 lottery pick.
It remains difficult to imagine chasing a title without Haliburton. 'A lot of us were hurting from the loss, and he was up there consoling us. That's who Tyrese Haliburton is,' McConnell said. 'He's just the greatest.'