Tyrese Haliburton Takes Major Step for First Time Since Game 7 Achilles Injury

While the end of the season is coming to a conclusion for the Indiana Pacers, the return of their superstar point guard will be here in a matter of no time.

On Wednesday evening, Tyrese Haliburton posted to his X account that he "played 5-on-5 for the first time since June."

Played 5 on 5 today for first time since June🙏🏽🙏🏽
— Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) April 8, 2026

It has been 41 weeks since Tyrese Haliburton had his Achilles surgery performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley. Dr. O'Malley also performed Achilles injury surgery on Jayson Tatum this offseason, Rudy Gay in 2017, and Kevin Durant's bone graft in 2015.

Dec 3, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

This season for the Pacers has been the complete opposite of last year's run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but there is hope that Indiana will return as contender in the Eastern Conference in the 2026-27 season, with Tyrese Haliburton anticipated to be fully recovered from his torn Achilles injury that he suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

In addition to Haliburton's return, Indiana is in prime position to land a top four pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, as they will likely finish with a bottom three record in the NBA, and will have the best odds come the NBA Draft Lottery on May 10.

On Feb 22, Rick Carlisle told the media that Tyrese Haliburton would be away from the team after coming down with shingles during the NBA's All-Star break. Haliburton did not return to the team until Mar. 25, where he was seen courtside with his teammates, sitting in Rick Carlisle's chair during the game.

This near month long absence slowed down the rehab process for Haliburton, as he was making progress in recovery.

In his guest appearance on the LeBron James' podcast, Mind The Game, Haliburton touched on his rehab progress, and discussed how he was playing 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 back in late January.

Having to put the Achilles rehab on pause due to a long recovery process with shingles was not the setback that anyone wanted, but if anyone is able to find a postivie in a difficult situation, it's Haliburton.

Throughout the season, Haliburton has been seen on the court, whether at home or on the road, in pregame warmups, working on getting shots up with assistant coach Isaac Yacob. Tuesday, before the Pacers hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves, Haliburton was once again going through warmups and working on midrange jumpers in a video posted on X.

During the rehab process, Haliburton has added serious weight to his frame. With not being able to run and condition at a high-level, Haliburton has used this time to add muscle to his body and add strength for the next season.

Similar to Isaiah Jackson, Haliburton will lose a significant amount of the weight that he's added in the conditioning process of his rehab. However, he will still retain some of the muscle he added, which will help him be stronger for next season.

Today’s news is easily the brightest spot in what’s been a forgettable season for the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is the engine that keeps everything running, and his absence has been felt all year.

Nobody loves the game more than Tyrese, and after being away for so long, his return should feel that much sweeter.

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