The Indiana Pacers are ranked in the top 10 in the future NBA power rankings for the next three years.
Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes ranked the Indiana Pacers 8th in his future NBA power rankings for the next three years.
The Pacers have a talented core of Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Obi Toppin.
"Indy was a win from a championship in 2025 and could be even better this year with Ivica Zubac joining a recovered Tyrese Haliburton and a gracefully aging Pascal Siakam," Bleacher Report wrote. "Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell are all still around from that Eastern Conference champion squad, and offseason addition Kelly Oubre Jr. deepens the rotation.
"If the Pacers get anything from Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard or Johnny Furphy, they'll supplement the entrenched vets with some younger options. That's the encouraging part. The worry arises when considering the uncertainty of Zubac's fit, Haliburton's potentially bumpy recovery and Siakam's possible slippage as he begins his age-32 season in 2026-27. The only first-rounder the Pacers don't control is their 2031 selection, so they can tinker with trades if they need to. Ultimately, though, this team's window depends on Haliburton and Co. proving they're the contenders they once were."
The Pacers will return to the playoffs next season since Haliburton is back. Indiana struggled immensely last season without its starting point guard, winning only 19 games.
Haliburton had an incredible 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.
The Pacers made the NBA Finals in 2025. They were one game away from winning it all. They might have defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 had Halliburton not torn his Achilles.
Remember, Indiana was winning when Halliburton got hurt in OKC.
The Pacers and Haliburton will presumably be highly motivated to prove their critics wrong next season, as there are some pundits who believe Indiana won't be a contender and Haliburton won't be the All-Star player he was before getting injured.
Indiana opens the 2026-27 regular season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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. We are almost there.
