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The Indiana Pacers are entering the 2025-26 NBA season with more questions than answers. Saturday’s Summer League game vs. the Thunder felt lighthearted, but the stakes were high for the Pacers’ front office. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is out for the season with a torn Achilles. Myles Turner is off to the Bucks amid NBA Free Agency, leaving Indiana’s identity in flux.
Indiana will need to adapt, and fast, if they want to stay competitive. Summer League intel says the Eastern Conference will be as deep as ever. With Tyrese Haliburton’s elite playmaking gone, the Pacers plans to shift toward a more measured offensive approach.
That starts with Andrew Nembhard, who’s projected to take on lead guard duties. Nembhard doesn’t have Haliburton’s explosiveness or scoring punch. Still, coaches see him as a steady hand, capable of running a half-court offense with poise and precision.
“He’s not going to give you 30, but he’s going to make the right reads,” one scout said of Nembhard.
The scoring burden, meanwhile, may fall squarely on the shoulders of third-year wing Bennedict Mathurin. After showing flashes of brilliance last season, the Pacers now view Mathurin as a potential primary option. League executives and Pacers insiders alike are watching closely to see whether he can embrace that challenge and elevate his game.
Behind the scenes, there’s quiet optimism about the team’s young core but no illusions about the uphill battle ahead. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined and Myles Turner gone to the Bucks and no clear superstar in the lineup, the Pacers’ path back to contention will require internal growth, smart rotations, and some luck along the way.
Amid the buzz of NBA Summer League, one thing is clear: the Pacers are no longer the same team that stormed to the conference crown. They’re rebuilding on the fly and doing it without their most important piece. But with a rising young core and a renewed sense of purpose, Indiana is determined to prove they still belong in the East’s upper tier.
