What Will the Indiana Pacers' 2026-27 Rotation Look Like?

The Indiana Pacers are entering the 2026-27 NBA season with a lot of excitement. After Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire season last year due to the Achilles tear, the Pacers are ready to pick up where they left off before the injury.

Just two short years ago, Indiana made a magical run to the NBA Finals. Haliburton and company were able to take the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 of the Finals before the star point guard went down with the injury.

Of course, the Pacers ended up losing Game 7 in heartbreaking fashion.

After a 19-63 season in 2025-26, Indiana is ready to get back to winning. The team looks very familiar with names like Pascal Siakam, Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith still being cornerstones. But, both Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin are now gone.

To replace those two players, the Pacers brought in star center Ivica Zubac in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers last year. They also signed veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency this offseason.

On paper, Indiana should be just as good if not better than it was two years ago.

Let's take a closer look at how the 2026-27 rotation should look for the Pacers.

Point Guard: Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Quenton Jackson

Haliburton will be the starter with McConnell being a high-level backup. They are the same point guard duo that the Pacers had in the NBA Finals. Jackson remains around as a third option if needed, while two-way rookie Braden Smith also holds a spot on the team.

Shooting Guard: Andrew Nembhard, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ben Sheppard

All three of these players are likely to see some run. Sheppard will not get the kind of playing time he has received over the last couple of years, but he is excellent depth. Nembhard and Oubre form a lethal two-man punch at the shooting guard position.

Small Forward: Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Kelly Oubre Jr.

Nesmith is one of the most underrated players in the Eastern Conference. His elite 3-and-D ability has become among the best in the NBA. Jarace Walker took a big step forward last season and is set to take over the primary backup role behind Nesmith, with Oubre getting more minutes in some situations at the three.

Power Forward: Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin

Siakam is coming off of an impressive year as well after stepping into the No. 1 role for the Pacers in Haliburton's absence. Obi Toppin has become an integral piece of Indiana's core. Both players are going to be extremely important for the Pacers to make another NBA Finals run.

Center: Ivica Zubac, Jay Huff, Larry Nance Jr.

Finally, the center position is going to be the biggest X-Factor for this Indiana team. Zubac is a much different center than Turner was, but he'll provide Haliburton with an elite pick-and-roll threat. Jay Huff should end up being the primary backup due to his shot blocking and floor-stretching ability, but Nance was a sleeper free agency pickup who could play a valuable role off of the bench as well.