Here is the Indiana Pacers' projected 2026-27 rotation.
The Indiana Pacers added three new players this offseason: Larry Nance Jr., Kelly Oubre Jr. and Braden Smith.
After making those moves, here is the Pacers' projected 2026-27 rotation, via HoopsHype:
Starters: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac
Bench: TJ McConnell, Ben Sheppard, Kelly Oubre, Obi Toppin, Jay Huff, Braden Smith, Quenton Jackson, Kobe Brown, Jarace Walker, Larry Nance Jr., Jalen Slawson, Johnny Furphy
Everything about the 2026-27 season is about the return of Haliburton, who missed all of last season.
One of the top players in the NBA, Haliburton had an outstanding 2024-25 campaign for the Pacers. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game and made the All-NBA Third Team.
Haliburton is averaging 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in a Pacers uniform. He signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the Pacers in July 2023.
The talented floor general will make $48,924,624 next season, $52,298,736 in 2027-28 and $55,672,848 in 2028-29, the final year of his deal.
Haliburton has career averages of 17.5 points and 8.8 assists per game in the regular season and 17.9 points and 8.4 assists per game in the playoffs. The basketball world can't wait to see Hali play again.
The Pacers may have won Game 7 against the OKC Thunder had Haliburton not gotten hurt.
It was a cruel turn of events for Indiana.
"I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it," Haliburton said on the "Numbers On The Board" podcast. "When I strained my calf, I knew it was a possibility. We knew that internally. Kendrick Perkins was going on TV talking about don't play. Get the f*** out of here. What is he talking about don't play. I knew it was a possibility.
"In that moment, everyone talks about how it feels like you got kicked. I knew right away because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in front of me. So I was like how did he kick me? There was a short moment while I was falling where I was like how did he kick me in the back of my leg? And then I was like oh s***."
Indiana opens the 2026-27 regular season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
