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Before Sunday, the Indiana Pacers, like every team, had some questions to answer this offseason — regardless of the result of Game 7. However, they likely never envisioned the predicament they find themselves in now: with Tyrese Haliburton injured and almost certainly out for all of next season and the postseason.
Haliburton went down with a non-contact injury last night in the first quarter of the biggest game of his life and Pacers history. Immediately feared to be an Achilles tendon injury, the bad news was confirmed by Haliburton's father, potentially altering the future of his career and his team.
Achilles tears generally necessitate a year-long recovery, if not more. There have been a few instances of players, such as Kobe Bryant, returning to action after about eight months. However, Bryant, already nearing the end of his career, never looked the same after the biggest injury of his career. Others, like Kevin Durant, who also suffered his Achilles tear in a Finals game, played his first game post-injury about a year and a half after he went down in the Finals. He notably returned to form relatively quickly after recovering and was considered one of the best players in the world within a year of his return.
With the timetable largely being unknown at this time, and with free agency about a week away, the Pacers, much like the Boston Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee Bucks with Damian Lillard, have some tough decisions to make, and they have to make them quickly. The biggest, though, might be whether Indiana, which has dipped into the luxury tax just twice in 20 years, will be willing to do so in 2025-26 without its best player on the floor.
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“Sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Shams Charania that Indiana is willing to dip into the luxury tax for the first time in nearly 20 years to sign [Myles] Turner,” Bobby Marks wrote for ESPN. “However, that was before Haliburton was injured in the Finals. Will that change if the Pacers are not a favorite in the Eastern Conference? If it does not, how much of a penalty is Indiana willing to pay? Because of a change in the CBA this offseason, Indiana will pay a less punitive tax penalty if it goes over the cap by $11.4 million or less. For example, a contract that starts at $30 million costs Indiana a $16 million penalty after the roster is filled out.”
Turner will be an unrestricted free agent in July after finishing up a two-year, $40.9 million contract extension this season. He made $19.9 million in 2024-25, and Marks believes he should get a pay raise. But he also said that the Pacers have to consider who else would be willing to pay Turner more than $20 million or try to execute a sign-and-trade for him.
Regardless of what ultimately happens with Turner, the Pacers will certainly look a bit different without Haliburton on the floor next season.
