The Indiana Pacers will take a step back next season, but just how dire will things be?
The Indiana Pacers, perhaps more than any team in the NBA, had a rough offseason.
It started before the final buzzer, when Tyrese Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. He will miss all of next season, and the Pacers let Myles Turner walk in free agency to their divisional rival, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Even before Turner walked, the Pacers were expected to struggle without Haliburton, but now with their best center seemingly Tony Bradley, next year will be full of experimentation.
Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker might command some trade value, but in a bigger role with a depleted depth chart, they are expected to thrive and expand upon their roles before a possible midseason trade.
“They’ll use this year to let Bennedict Mathurin explore the limits of his game, figure out what they have in 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker, and scavenge for other roster upgrades,” predicted The Athletic’s John Hollinger.
Of course, the Pacers do have the means to pull themselves out of their newfound mediocrity, although ownership has already made it clear that they are not willing to spend massive sums.
“With roughly $22 million in room below the tax, plus their nontaxpayer MLE and biannual exceptions, Indy has the means to get a reasonable stopgap center,” Hllinger continued. “But it will be a step down from Turner and will make everything harder when the Pacers try to recreate their 2025 playoff magic in 2026-27.
Looking ahead, 2025-26 will certainly be a down year after being just 48 minutes away from a title, and expect a new-look team to take over in two seasons.
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic shoots against Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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