Undoubtedly, the Indiana Pacers will look different without Tyrese Haliburton. During the NBA Finals, he tore his Achilles tendon and will miss the 2025-2026 season.
However, Halliburton will remain a part of the organization. Something he officially confirmed during Pacers Media Day on Monday, per Tony East of Forbes Magazine. During his recovery over the summer, Haliburton admitted the mental anguish was a “drag, but that he is making progress. Ultimately, he will take on a new role from the sidelines and see what the coaches see.
Tyrese Haliburton on the role he's going to play on the bench for this season while he's out with his injury:
"I feel like I'm going to be able to see the game in a different way." pic.twitter.com/9DQhFQGjzS
— NBA (@NBA) September 29, 2025
Something that he also admitted to reporters, per Dustin Dopirak, Scott Horner, and Joshua Heron of USA Today.
“I think whenever you don't get to play, you get a new perspective on things,” Haliburton said. “I think there's always time to learn and grow, and I think that for me this year, not being able to play, I'm going to see the game differently, potentially see it more from a coaching perspective, where I don't always see eye-to-eye with our coaching staff and what they're seeing. I look forward to being able to digest the game without playing for a full year. I think that's going to be different for me, but I think being able to still be in the locker room with the guys and hear what they're seeing, but also to be sitting there with the coaches on the bench, hear what they're seeing, try to be the bridge between that.”
Last season, Haliburton carried the Pacers on his shoulders. Overall, he averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 73 games. Along the way, he helped lead the Pacers to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. During the postseason, Haliburton rose to the occasion with clutch performances.
Tyrese Haliburton is the Caitlin Clark of the Pacers
Much like another Indiana basketball phenom, Haliburton's absence will undoubtedly be felt. During the WNBA season, Caitlin Clark missed 28 out of 41 total games for the Fever due to a series of injuries.
Ultimately, she had to miss out the rest of the season and watch from the sidelines as the Fever are in a tight battle with the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Playoffs. Haliburton and Clark have developed a mutual admiration for one another, with Haliburton sitting in the stands, cheering the Fever on.
In truth, it won't be the same, but Haliburton won't be far away.
