With Tyrese Haliburton back in the fold, the Indiana Pacers should be a threat.
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton didn't play this season because of the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Without their best player, Indiana won only 19 games.
Haliburton will return to the Pacers' lineup next season and his dad, John, expects his son's team to be "right at the top" again.
"I expect them right at the top," John told Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson. "I'm not going to lie to you. If you know basketball and you've been paying attention, you know that all of our rookies and second-year players got a chance to really go out there and grow through this run. They got a chance to experience the game at the highest level, slow it down, and understand exactly what it takes to win.
"Now, by the time Tyrese gets back on the floor, these young guys have already been through the fire. So you tell me—what is going to stop them from going to the top? New York won the championship this year, but they won it because Indiana wasn't fully standing in their way at the very end. Next year, with Tyrese back, Indiana will be standing right there."
One of the top players in the NBA, Tyrese 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.
Indiana acquired Tyrese from the Sacramento Kings in the February 2022 Domantas Sabonis trade. Tyrese is averaging 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in a Pacers uniform.
A two-time All-Star, Tyrese has played in 333 regular-season games with the Kings and Pacers. He has career averages of 17.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
Indiana acquired Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers at this year's trade deadline. Zubac, Tyrese and Pascal Siakam will be the Pacers' "Big 3" next season.
Tyrese 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.
The basketball world can't wait to see Tyrese playing ball again. We are almost there.
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