How Haliburton, trades, and draft can revamp Pacers going forward

Sometimes, one step back can be two steps forward; or at least, sometimes you have to tell yourself that.

Coming off a 50-win season and Game 7 NBA Finals appearance, it appears the 2025-26 Indiana Pacers are going in the wrong direction.

With a 6-30 record overall, Indiana has lost ten straight games as their head coach ironically sits on 999 career wins, waiting weeks to celebrate his 1000th.

With Pacers fans now refreshing tankathon every morning in one of the most loaded draft classes in recent memory, it wouldn't hurt Indiana to crash right into the deep waters of the tank: add a blue-chip talent, return next year with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton, restart as a refreshed 50-win Finals-level team led by its pace-pushing point guard and play-finishing power forward pair of stars plus an exciting new rookie.

To solve the riddle that is this Pacers season and beyond, we brought in Indiana hoops expert Tony East to answer a few questions to help us outline the state of Indiana Basketball going forward.

What's the most important question Indiana needs to answer in 2026? 

Who is their center of the future?

I think this season has proven that all of their chosen by-committee guys for this season (Tony Bradley, Jay Huff, Micah Potter, Isaiah Jackson) have utility, but are backup bigs.

When Tyrese Haliburton does return, they need WAY more at the five.

Who is the answer? How can they acquire a Myles Turner replacement?

Which direction should this Pacers team be aiming for between competing for a play-in spot and settling into the draft-tanking waters? 

The 1984-85 Cavaliers started 6-23 before turning their season around and making the playoffs.

That’s the worst start from a team that made the postseason, ever.

The Pacers were 6-23… six games ago. They’ve lost all of the half dozen and are now 6-29.

So, history says their direction has already been decided.

They are healthier and playing all of their top guys, yet still can’t win.

In a “gap year”, finding long-term successes should be the focus, and that appears to be leading to a high draft pick.

 Will everything be magically better when Haliburton returns, or does this team needs a talent injection via a bluechip draft pick or trade?   

Mostly, things will be magically better.

How much so is hard to say since NBA talents usually drop off post Achilles tear.

So Haliburton’s level starting next season will answer this question.

That said, more talent could go a long way for this team with two aging (kinda) talents in Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell plus raises coming that may disrupt some of their ability to afford the whole rotation.

Either a cheap stud to help bridge toward the next great Haliburton team OR a high-tier player right now that helps the 2025 NBA Finalists would make sense, and any high profile addition would help combat possible Haliburton declines.

Which players have been most impressive this season that you believe need to be apart of Indiana’s plans going forward no matter what other roster changes happens? What role could they fill next to Haliburton?

Haliburton and Siakam are a top-tier duo. So, who fits around them?

Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard defend and can shoot, they are obviously in.

Ben Sheppard does those things with varying consistency.

Who else?

Stylistically, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell really fit the teams style and pace.

McConnell as a backup point guard who can play with Haliburton or Nembhard, Toppin as the team’s backup 4 and occasionally backup 5.

Everything else, maybe even Sheppard, could be tweaked to some extent.

Jay Huff and Micah Potter provide interesting floor spacing at the 5. Neither have played with Haliburton yet in the NBA.

Johnny Furphy has interesting shooting and defensive flashes.

Nobody on the roster can do what Bennedict Mathurin does.

All of those players have a case for a real role, as does Jarace Walker if something clicks. His best moments are quite impressive.

But none of them are locks.

Should this Pacers team make any major trades to overhaul the roster this season, or keep everything intact knowing the success of the finals team when healthy with Haliburton?  

I say keep everything mostly intact.

The lack of growth from lottery picks Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker suggest they could be moved for different value, but being sellers makes so sense given the high ceiling of this core.

Being buyers would make more sense than that, but it’s also an odd time to truly buy with a league-worst record.

Shifting young assets or consolidating contracts for a center seems like the right trade deadline approach.