NBA

The Pacers fell flat following a historic 2025 campaign that saw them fall one game short of their first-ever NBA title. Indiana tumbled down the standings, producing just 19 wins, the second-worst mark in basketball.

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The roster had at least one ready-made excuse to explain its failings; it was without talisman Tyrese Haliburton, who saw his season end before it started after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals.

Haliburton went through hell to get back on the floor this year. Both he and the Pacers are hoping his efforts will pay dividends as his team sets its sights on another deep postseason run.

With that, here’s what you need to know about Haliburton’s impending return to action — as well as how it could affect the team’s disposition going forward.

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Pacers already have a timeline for judging new roster

The Pacers endured a horror show of a season in 2025-26, plummeting to the cellar of the Eastern Conference following Haliburton’s injury. Indiana took a punt in the hopes of improving its roster, landing Ivica Zubac in a trade with the Clippers. The move proved costly to Rick Carlisle’s side, though — the Pacers’ pick fell outside of the top-five, meaning Los Angeles got it instead.

Still, there’s reason for optimism in Indiana’s fanbase. For starters, Haliburton will make his long-awaited return to the hardwood in 2026-27. In fact, he should be ready to go sooner than Pacers fans might have thought, according to Indiana general manager Chase Buchanan.

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“I think he’s going to be one-hundred percent full go,” Buchanan said, per Sports Illustrated’s Alex Golden. “We’re relying on our medical staff if there’s a day they need to scale back on him, but there’s gonna be no restrictions right away for him.”

Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals, robbing onlookers of what looked to be an epic display. He endured plenty of hardship during his year on the sidelines, facing a bout of shingles that led to weight gain, swelling and him losing a part of his eyebrow.

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The two-time All-NBA guard appears to have a have gotten through the worst of his toils. He spearheads an Indiana side that will look to compete in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Based on the way the 26-year-old has been playing in the offseason, there’s hope within the Pacers’ front office that he’ll make a seamless return to form when draped in Indiana colors.

“The progress that he’s made all summer, we really trusted in the work that he put in,» said assistant general manager Ted Wu. «You can start seeing little by little his confidence picking up and building.”

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