Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has been sidelined since Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and has spent the past several months working toward returning to his pre-injury level.
The Pacers will look to add experienced veterans to their roster in a bid to get back among the Eastern Conference heavyweights.
Why the Pacers Are Targeting Veteran Help Ahead of Tyrese Haliburton’s Comeback
Before suffering his injury, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists, leading the Pacers to their first NBA Finals since 2000.
However, a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals kept him out last season. His absence was felt as the Pacers limped to a disappointing 19-63 record.
With free agency set to begin at 6:00 PM this evening, Indiana will be looking to add some much-needed proven weaponry to its roster.
According to Monday night’s report from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer in The Stein Line, the team has identified three potential targets to facilitate Haliburton’s play.
“In other Pacers developments: Sources say Josh Okogie is among a group of swingmen they are looking at to support the soon-to-be-back-from-injury Tyrese Haliburton,” the report highlighted.
“Indiana can pay part of the non-taxpayer midlevel to compete against other teams’ prospective offers at the veteran’s minimum and is also said to have Gary Trent Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. on its list.”
The Houston Rockets are expected to re-sign Okogie. He is expected to explore the free agent market before deciding on his future after playing an important role in Houston’s rotation last season, averaging 17.4 minutes.
His offensive production was subpar, but Okogie contributed on the defensive end, averaging nearly 1 steal per game.
Meanwhile, Trent did not opt into his deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, a franchise that entered rebuild mode after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Over two seasons with the Bucks, Trent appeared in 139 games, averaging 9.7 points while shooting 39.1% from the 3-point line. Now a free agent, he could explore his fit with Indiana.
Meanwhile, Oubre also enters free agency after his stint with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he quietly became a dependable contributor. In 50 games last season, he averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 46.7% from the field.
With 705 games under his belt, he can be another experienced asset Indiana can add while navigating their financial complexities.
