The Pacers’ 2025-26 season turned into a medical nightmare right after their run to the 2025 NBA Finals. Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire year following surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon, and that one injury basically changed the whole outlook before the season even tipped off.
That is why this new roster feels like such a big step forward from the 19-63 record they posted last season. Haliburton is working his way back, Pascal Siakam remains the steady veteran presence, Andrew Nembhard took a major step forward, Aaron Nesmith looks healthy to reclaim his spot in the starting group, and Ivica Zubac gives them the long-term center solution they needed since Myles Turner’s departure.
The offseason focused more on building their depth instead of chasing another star. Kelly Oubre Jr. signed for nearly $17.0 million over two years to add another scoring wing after they moved on from Mathurin. Larry Nance Jr. also came aboard on a one-year, $4.0 million deal to provide another veteran body in the frontcourt behind Zubac, Jay Huff, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker.
The result is a strangely deep group that still has some question marks, mainly around Haliburton’s health. But if he gets close to his old self, this rotation has guards, wings, shooting, rim protection, transition speed, and enough frontcourt options to play multiple styles without falling apart.
Projected Starting Lineup
Point Guard: Tyrese Haliburton
Shooting Guard: Andrew Nembhard
Small Forward: Aaron Nesmith
Power Forward: Pascal Siakam
Center: Ivica Zubac
This starting five feels like the most balanced mix of structure, size, defense, and creation the Pacers can put on the floor right now. Everything starts with Haliburton. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 9.2 assists before the injury, and reports indicate he has already progressed to 5-on-5 work and felt great in late June. An Achilles injury is never simple, so nothing is guaranteed, but seeing him back on the court is the first real step toward rebuilding the offense that made the Pacers dangerous before.
Nembhard has more than earned the spot next to him. With Haliburton sidelined last season, he stepped up in 57 games and averaged 16.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 44.2% from the field and 36.1% from three. He is no longer just a secondary guard and can run the offense, defend opposing point guards, knock down enough threes, and take some of the pressure off Haliburton, which is exactly what this team needed after last year.
Nesmith fits well at small forward. He put up 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 45 games while shooting 37.9% from three on solid volume. The Pacers need a wing who can defend the opposing team’s best player every night, and Nesmith gives them that plus real spacing.
Siakam remains the best pure scorer on the roster until Haliburton proves he is fully back. He carried a heavy load last season, averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 48.4% from the field and 35.8% from three. The efficiency was not always perfect because he had to do so much without his running mate, but with Haliburton back, he should see easier opportunities, more transition chances, and fewer tough half-court possessions.
Zubac is the new addition that finally changes the interior picture. He averaged 14.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists last season overall. Before a rib injury, he was at 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds in 43 games with the Clippers, and he added 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in five starts after arriving in Indiana. He is not a stretch five, but he brings a true center who can set screens, rebound, finish at the rim, and protect the paint much better than the small-ball lineups the Pacers relied on too often last year.
Second Unit
Point Guard: TJ McConnell
Shooting Guard: Ben Sheppard
Small Forward: Kelly Oubre Jr.
Power Forward: Obi Toppin
Center: Jay Huff
This bench unit is the main reason the Pacers can talk about having real depth again. McConnell continues to be one of the safest backup guards in the league. In limited minutes last season, he averaged 9.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 53.85 from the field. He keeps the tempo high and the offense flowing when Haliburton rests.
Sheppard brings simple two-way reliability off the bench with 7.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across 65 games while shooting 43.4% from the field and 36.2% from three. He does not demand the ball, but he defends, runs the floor, and hits enough shots to fit into almost any lineup Carlisle wants to use.
Oubre fills the bench scoring role the team missed after trading Mathurin. With the 76ers last season, he put up 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, and over his career, he has shown steady production at 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game across more than 700 games. He is a real NBA wing who can attack, rebound, and create without needing everything drawn up for him.
Toppin brings speed and energy at the four. He only appeared in 24 games last season but averaged 11.6 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 50.3% from the field and 35.2% from three. In a healthy rotation, he doesn’t have to carry a big load. He can run, cut, finish, and knock down open threes to keep the second unit moving.
Huff gives them the most useful backup center for the regular season. He played all 82 games and averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 47.6% from the field and 31.9% from three. Behind Zubac, he offers rim protection and a bit of stretch, and those 1.9 blocks in 21 minutes per night stand out.
Extra Rotation Pieces
– Jarace Walker
– Larry Nance Jr.
– Johnny Furphy
Jarace Walker should still see meaningful minutes even if he is not in the top 10 every night. He averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 76 games while shooting 37.4% from three on 4.7 attempts. That kind of young, versatile forward with size is exactly why the roster feels so deep. He can swing between the three and four, defend wings, and move the ball in short bursts.
Larry Nance Jr. is more of a tool guy at this stage. He averaged just 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 35 games with the Cavaliers, but the one-year deal makes sense as veteran insurance. He can play small-ball center or power forward in short stretches when the Pacers need extra experience or different looks up front.
Johnny Furphy is the big unknown because of the ACL tear in his right knee, as he could need six to 12 months to recover. Before the injury, he was averaging 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 35 games with 21 starts. If he comes back strong, he gives the Pacers another 6-foot-8 wing option, but the depth in front of him means there is no need to rush his return.
Final Projection
It feels like another lifetime, but the Pacers were right there in the 2025 NBA Finals. They finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 50-32 record, their first 50-win campaign in more than a decade, and earned the fourth seed in the East after one of the more dramatic turnarounds in recent memory.
Their playoff run was defined by resilience and unforgettable comebacks. They dispatched the Bucks in five games, upset the 64-win Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, and then outlasted the Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. They pushed the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the Finals before falling in a heartbreaking series that ended with Haliburton tearing his right Achilles in the first quarter of Game 7.
Then came the 2025-26 season, which turned into a total disaster. With their engine sidelined for the entire year, the Pacers collapsed to a 19-63 record and looked nothing like the team that had just played for a championship. The injuries kept piling up, and the season became a long exercise in survival rather than contention.
Now, with Haliburton working his way back and a much deeper supporting cast around him, the Pacers look closer to that Finals version than they have in over a year. They still have Siakam as the proven veteran scorer, added size and rim protection with Zubac, brought in scoring wings like Oubre, and kept the young talent that can run and defend at a high level.
The question is whether that is enough in today’s Eastern Conference. The Knicks are the defending champions and have shown they can dominate when healthy. Giannis Antetokounmpo is now in Miami, instantly making the Heat one of the most dangerous teams in the East with his size, athleticism and two-way impact alongside Bam Adebayo. Jaylen Brown landed in Philadelphia, and the 76ers feel more complete and dangerous. Add in teams like the Pistons and Celtics that are built to compete deep into the spring, and the East is as stacked as it has been in years.
If Haliburton returns close to the All-NBA guard who averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists, this Pacers roster has the speed, shooting, size, and depth to compete again. They are no longer a one-man show. They can play different styles, absorb injuries better than last year, and lean on a group that actually resembles the one that reached the Finals. The ceiling is real. They just need their leader healthy to unlock everything around him.
