It’s pretty difficult to imagine that it was just 15 short months ago when the Indiana Pacers had the OKC Thunder in a dangerous place in the 2025 NBA Finals. Everything that happened to this franchise from that moment through the end of the 2026 season felt disastrous. Heck, even this offseason the luck was not in their favor, as they lost a statistical coin flip in the NBA Draft Lottery, which saw them forfeit the fifth overall pick to the LA Clippers.
However, the bad vibes can’t overshadow what
this team could look like when healthy. The Ivica Zubac trade, even with the draft loss, should net out to be a big win for the team. Tyrese Haliburton will be back from his achillies tear, and as the year progresses, he should look more and more like the player he was just a season ago. The depth of this team remains solid with guys who got extended burn last year during the injury-doomed year. And lastly, the coaching staff, led by Rick Carlisle, remains one of the best in the league.
Indiana Pacers: Over/Under 43.5 wins (-120/-105)
Last season: 19-63, 14th in the Eastern Conference:
Key additions: Ivica Zubac (trade with LA Clippers), Tyrese Haliburton (achillies)
Key losses: None
It seems like this team is primed for a bounce back, even if the Eastern Conference is much harder than it was when they won it in 2025. The starting lineup should be one of the ten best in the league, in my opinion. Zubac should fit nicely with Haliburton, as their two-man game should develop into a real weapon over the course of the season. Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin return off the Finals team as well.
I really like the depth of this group, especially in the backcourt. TJ McConnell is one of the better backup guards in the league. Ben Sheppard and Aaron Nesmith got to show off what they can do last year, and I expect the team at large to benefit from the growth they showed last year. The addition of Jay Huff last year could return dividends this season, as well. Plus, maybe Jarace Walker can continue to build off of last year’s growth.
The Pacers didn’t get a real chance to defend their crown last year, and naturally the rival Knicks took home the title in their absence. Redemption will be on Indiana’s mind this entire season, and I think that helps them return to their winning ways.
