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The Indiana Pacers didn't just lose the battle in the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, they also lost the war. In addition to losing Game 7 of the NBA Finals in gut-wrenching fashion, falling behind after a turnover fest in the third quarter en route to a 103-91 defeat, they also lost Tyrese Haliburton, he of the many heroics in this year's playoffs, to an Achilles injury, which will presumably keep him out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season.
While the Pacers' success isn't entirely contingent on just one man, without Haliburton, it's hard to envision Indiana being able to mount the same deep playoff run next season. TJ McConnell can do all the heavy lifting he can, but his lack of pull-up threat from three changes the dynamic of the entire Pacers offense.
The 2025-26 season is shaping to be a gap year for the Pacers, looking to hold steady and keep their core together in preparation for Haliburton's eventual return. It's going to be a tough sell to fans if they decide to change course and overhaul the makeup of the team in the aftermath of coming ever so closely to winning it all yet falling short in the end, but in today's NBA, there is not much room for sentiment when it comes to building a championship contender.
With that said, here are three players the Pacers can target in trades to help gear them up for an eventual push come 2027.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
There are no indications that the Memphis Grizzlies will be willing to sell in the aftermath of the trade that sent Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. In fact, rumor has it that they're trying to retool around their duo of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant.
Alas, Jackson is in the final year of his deal. He has given no concrete indications as well as to whether or not he'll be committing his long-term future in Memphis. Thus, this could very well pave the way for Jackson to engineer a possible exit from the team. The Grizzlies, a small-market franchise, cannot afford to lose one of their very best players for nothing.
This could then open up the possibility for the Pacers to swoop in and acquire Jackson in a trade. Even if the Pacers manage to re-sign Myles Turner, acquiring Jackson would give Indiana another rangy big man who can shoot from beyond the arc. Jackson's mobility on the perimeter and his ability to protect the rim make him quite the valuable defensive commodity, and he has also improved his offensive arsenal quite a lot — averaging 22.2 points per game this past season without suffering a drop-off in efficiency.
Indiana can package together Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, and Jonny Furphy and get to the required salary to bring Jackson in. They simply need to add the draft capital necessary to get the trade across the finish line.
Mathurin tried his hardest throughout the 2025 NBA Finals, even battling until the very end of Game 7, but at the end of the day, he was a sixth man who ran hot and cold all postseason long. He is a piece worth giving up for Jackson, a perennial DPOY candidate who fits the Pacers' style of play. Walker was also deployed situationally last season and was not a crucial rotation fixture during the playoffs.
PJ Washington
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The Pacers' formula for winning became ever so evident in the playoffs. They wear out the opposition with their breakneck pace, win the mind games on both ends of the floor, and they do not let adversity get to them. Thus, it's hard to think of a better addition for the team than PJ Washington, someone who thrived under the bright lights of the playoffs in 2024 for eventual NBA Finals runner-up Dallas Mavericks.
Washington guarded everyone during that playoff run from Paul George to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Anthony Edwards to Jayson Tatum. He's as switchable of a defender as it gets, and he also contributes on the offensive end of the floor. His corner threes felt like death for fans of the Los Angeles Clippers, Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves last year. He also ruffled the feathers of the opposition with the way he conducted himself with such confidence.
He gives the Pacers another rangy defender who can run in transition, make open threes, and guard multiple positions. The catch, however, is that his availability is far from a guarantee.
The Dallas Mavericks have all the intention in the world to compete come the 2025-26 season, and Washington could be a huge part of what they're building in the post-Luka Doncic era. Washington, however, is at his best at the four, and with Cooper Flagg arriving and Anthony Davis now establishing himself as the undisputed starter at the four, the 26-year-old forward could find himself lost in the shuffle.
Making just $14.1 million in the final year of his deal, it's very easy for the Pacers to come up with the salary required to bring him in. They don't even have to give up Mathurin in the process, although Dallas may ask for him as the starting point in any trade talks.
Herb Jones
It's not quite clear what the New Orleans Pelicans are cooking up. They traded CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to bring in Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey (which is a shrewd move on their end), but decided to draft a point guard with the sixth overall pick (Jeremiah Fears) all while already having Poole and Dejounte Murray on the roster.
The Pelicans at least cleared a bit of a logjam on the wings this past season, having traded Brandon Ingram away to the Toronto Raptors. Even then, there will be a bit of a logjam at the position, with Trey Murphy and Herb Jones being quality starting-caliber players (at worst) in this league.
New Orleans could always start Murray, Jones, and Murphy alongside Zion Williamson and their center of choice (Yves Missi? Derik Queen?). But their assortment of talent could lead to one being pushed out of the squad. And with that, perhaps the Pacers could check in on Jones' availability in a trade.
Everyone at this point knows what Jones does. Jones is one of the best defenders in the league, and he's perfect for the Pacers, a team that wants to pick up opposing ballhandlers 94 feet from the basket. Once Haliburton returns from injury, having him around would reinforce the team's defense in a way that could make them a sustainable contending team for years.
Jones is making just around $14 million this season, so salary-matching won't be an issue.
