A Pacers Starter Just Issued a Championship Warning to the NBA

Before the Indiana Pacers played the final game of the regular season, there wasn't much left to celebrate.

A year removed from pushing the NBA champions to game seven of the NBA finals, Indiana had stumbled to the worst record in franchise history. Injuries had decimated the roster, Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire season while recovering from a torn Achilles, and the Pacers found themselves headed to the NBA Draft Lottery instead of preparing for another postseason run.

Yet before tip off, Haliburton walk to center court at Cambridge Fieldhouse, and delivered a message that perfectly captured the mindset inside the organization.

Don't get used to the Pacers not playing in April, May, and June. Go Pacers.
Tyrese Haliburton

It was exactly what Pacers needed to hear.

Mar 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After months of watching a Finals team unravel because of injuries, there was finally a reason to believe brighter days were ahead. The possibility of adding a top-four pic from one of the strongest draft classes in years to an already talented Finals core felt like the light at the end of the tunnel.

Instead, the ping-pong balls bounced the wrong way.

Indiana's protected first-round pick conveyed, forcing the front office to pivot from the lottery two free agency as it's primary avenue for improving the roster.

While the Pacers didn't land the franchise-changing selection many envisioned, they quietly pieced together another productive offseason. They maneuvered their way into acquiring Braden Smith during the draft while saving money, then added proven veterans Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. to strengthen one of the NBA's deepest rotations.

KOJ — Apr 10, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Those additions may not generate the same excitement as selecting a future star in the lottery, but they haven't changed the expectations inside the locker room.

If anything, they've only strengthened them.

That confidence was on full display during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

As Aaron Nesmith was walking from one venue to the next, he was stopped by a fan for a quick interview and asjed where he saw the Pacers finishing in the Eastern Conference this upcoming season.

In typical Aaron Nesmith fashion, the response came quick and without hesitation, "I'll see you in The Finals."

The interviewee fan smiled and dapped up the Pacers starter, but revealed that he was a Knicks fan. He told Nesmith, "I'm a Knicks fan, so I'll see you in the Conference Finals."

Ready to move on from the interview, Nesmith doubled down on his answer stating, "Hey, you gonna see me in The Finals."

For a fan base still carrying the pain of watching Haliburton collapse in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, those words were more than offseason bravado.

They were a reminder that this team hasn't forgotten who it is.

The Pacers believe they were good enough to win a championship before injuries robbed them of that opportunity. Haliburton's torn Achilles changed the trajectory of Game 7, and the Oklahoma City Thunder capitalized on the opening to capture the NBA title. Meanwhile, the rest of the Eastern Conference benefited from Indiana's absence this go-around, particularly a Knicks team that had spent the previous two postseasons watching the Pacers end its season.

Now the Pacers are preparing to return with a healthy Haliburton, a true interior presence in Ivica Zubac, and experienced veterans like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. joining a roster that already knows what it takes to compete on basketball's biggest stage.

May 25, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) warms up bbefore game three of the eastern conference finals against the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Nationally, Indiana continues to be overlooked. Inside the locker room, however, nothing has changed.

Haliburton's promise to Pacers fans at center court wasn't empty optimism. Nesmith's confidence in Las Vegas wasn't manufactured for a camera.

They were two reminders that this group fully expects to be playing basketball well into April. all of May, and in June once again.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

Add us as a preferred source on Google