TITLE: Pacers Face Critical 2026 Offseason After Injury-Marred Year and Costly Trade
SLUG: pacers-2026-offseason-outlook
CONTENT:
Tyrese Haliburton’s right Achilles tear in the opening minutes of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals cost the Indiana Pacers more than a championship bid. Two weeks after the defeat, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confirmed the All-Star guard would miss the entire 2025-26 campaign, saying the late-June injury left no realistic chance for a safe mid-season return.
Indiana entered the new season hoping its recent conference-finals and Finals runs would cushion the blow. Instead, a wave of additional injuries forced the club to start journeymen such as Tony Bradley and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. By the end of the season’s first month, the Pacers sat at the bottom of the standings at 1-13. They lost 30 of their first 36 games and eventually shifted focus from chasing a play-in berth to improving their draft position.
Trade-Deadline Gamble
Despite a 13-38 record, the Pacers acted as buyers in February, acquiring center Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers. The price was steep: Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick, a second-rounder, and a 2026 first-round selection protected for picks 1-4. The move filled the void left when longtime starter Myles Turner departed for Milwaukee in 2025 free agency and was made with Haliburton’s 2026-27 return in mind.
The 2026 pick carried a 52.1 percent chance of landing in the top four and rolling over to 2031; otherwise it would convey immediately. Lottery night favored Los Angeles, which landed the No. 5 selection in what scouts consider a deep draft.
The timing of the deal sparked league-wide debate. Had Indiana waited until the offseason, rival executives wondered whether Los Angeles could have demanded the additional unprotected 2029 first-rounder if the No. 5 pick had been on the table by itself.
With Haliburton expected back for training camp in the fall of 2026 and Zubac under contract, Indiana now enters a pivotal summer trying to rebuild depth, restore health and return to the Eastern Conference contender it was before the rash of injuries.
Source: Hoops Rumors
