Tyrese Haliburton Reacts to Pacers Being Slept on as Title Contenders

Even though Tyrese Haliburton is back in the lineup, the Indiana Pacers are still being slept on as title contenders. 

The Pacers went to the NBA Finals in 2025 and may have won Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder had Haliburton not gotten hurt. 

Indiana wasn't considered a championship contender in 2024-25. That's why Haliburton doesn't really care what pundits are saying about this year's squad.

As of this writing, the Pacers are 2-1. They beat the New Orleans Pelicans, lost to the Dallas Mavericks and beat the Brooklyn Nets. 

After missing all of last season, Haliburton looks good thus far in his return. He's averaging 21.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game and shooting 53.3% from the field, 35.3% from beyond the arc and 91.7% from the free-throw line. 

Haliburton signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the Pacers in July 2023. Indiana acquired him from the Sacramento Kings in 2022.  

The Pacers can sign Haliburton to another extension after this season. That will likely happen. 

One of the top floor generals 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.

The Pacers-Pelicans game on opening night was special for Haliburton because there were many Indiana fans at the game. Along with several Pacers fans in attendance, Haliburton was also supported by family, friends and business associates.

His wife, Jade, whom he married this past offseason, was in attendance. His parents, John and Brenda Haliburton, and two brothers were there, too.

Also in attendance were Haliburton's agent Aaron Mintz, shooting coach Drew Hanlen, marketing representative Kristina Kozica and other friends.

After the Pacers play the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, they host LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers on October 28. It's unknown if Haliburton and Co. will have center Ivica Zubac in that game, as the big man suffered a left ankle injury against the Nets and left the Barclays Center on crutches.

Zubac is averaging 9.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season. He's shooting 60.0% from the field and 50.0% from the foul line. 

The Pacers lost their first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Mother's Day during the draft lottery because of the Zubac trade with the Clippers last season.

Indiana needed to land in the top four to keep its pick after trading it with protections to LAC for Zubac. The trade sent two of the Pacers' first-round picks to the Clippers: one in 2029 and either this year's first if it fell outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.