The Indiana Pacers came just one victory shy of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and there’s no telling how Game 7 would’ve played out had Tyrese Haliburton avoided injury.
With this in mind, it’s safe to assume Indiana will use the 2025-26 season as a retooling year. The loss of star center Myles Turner certainly hurts, so it’s key to address that void while Haliburton recovers from his Achilles tear. Once Haliburton returns for the 2026-27 campaign, the team can once again contend with him and Pascal Siakam leading the charge.
This is the case unless the front office stunningly decides that Haliburton and Siakam won’t be able to lead a contender by that point.
Could Pacers Move On From Crucial Piece of Their Core Before Tyrese Haliburton Returns?
Siakam is aging and still has three guaranteed seasons left on a four-year, nearly $190 million contract he signed with the Pacers in mid-2024. While Siakam would be under this deal for two seasons when Haliburton returns to the floor, PFSN’s Brandon Austin predicts the organization could trade him due to a possible lack of confidence in this duo’s ability to return them to the biggest stage.
Miller then suggests the Pacers could trade Siakam to the San Antonio Spurs, where he would form an elite frontcourt with generational talent Victor Wembanyama.
“Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury in Game 7 of the Finals, ending the Pacers’ season and putting their 2025-26 campaign in doubt,” Austin wrote. “Haliburton is expected to miss the majority, if not all, of the year, which could result in Indiana taking a significant step back.”
While it is hard to picture the Pacers seriously contending in even a shaky Eastern Conference, it doesn’t force them to reset around Haliburton. Indiana could take a page out of the Golden State Warriors’ book, where they tanked before landing a top draft pick and rejoining the group of contenders. Obviously, the Pacers would need to draft better than the Warriors did in 2020 when they selected center James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick.
The warriors passed on lamelo ball for James wiseman and traded James wiseman for 5 second round picks . They then traded 5 second round picks for Gary Payton .. the warriors basically used a top 3 pick on Gary Payton Lmao https://t.co/sQz7qbUfq1
— John (@iam_johnw) February 9, 2023
“Siakam is 31 years old and carries a $45.55 million cap hit for the 2025 season. His sizable contract could be used to bring in younger talent or draft capital. A trade would prioritize long-term flexibility, allowing the front office to fully embrace a reset after letting Myles Turner walk in free agency,” Austin concluded.
As much as this trade feels unwarranted for the Pacers, it’s arguably more so for San Antonio. Wembanyama is already surrounded by a core filled with stars of all kinds. From established All-Star De’Aaron Fox to top NBA Draft talents such as Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, it feels unnecessary to make a blockbuster trade.
If the trio of star guards isn’t panning out together, the Spurs could then consider a trade of this magnitude. As it stands, however, neither party involved can justify such a move.
