Despite the mishap, Zubac fills a real roster need and Indiana\u2019s return to Eastern Conference supremacy relies on Haliburton\u2019s return to his usual self once he hits the floor. Haliburton recently provided an update on his lengthy recovery and all seems on track with three months left ahead of his targeted return.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell this week is week 52, this is my one-year,\u201d Haliburton said in a video released <\/a>on his YouTube channel on Thursday. \u201cMan, I feel so good. I\u2019m playing five-on-five, doing our workouts every day. I can pretty much say I\u2019m back at this point. <\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I\u2019m in shape, but there\u2019s a difference between being in shape and being in Tyrese Haliburton shape. I feel like they\u2019re two different things. I like to play fast so I have to get back to there, which will take some time.\u201d<\/p>\n Music to the ears of Pacers fans. One of the NBA\u2019s best guards and most clutch players says he\u2019s back with plenty of runway ahead before he has to go full speed. The bad news for the Pacers, however, is that the East became absolutely stacked over the offseason. Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to Miami to team up with Bam Adebayo. Jaylen Brown was dealt to the 76ers to form another contender around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The Cavaliers made a run to the Eastern Conference finals last season and remain a strong suitor for LeBron James<\/a>, who remains unsigned. The Raptors are slated to add Kawhi Leonard pending a lingering league investigation<\/a>. The Pistons won 60 games last season as Cade Cunningham continues to rise. Oh, and the Knicks had a dominant postseason run on the way to the franchise\u2019s first title in 53 years.<\/p>\n With that long of a list, the biggest question for the Pacers is how realistic another run to the Finals is after a one-year hiatus. Here are three things that must go Indiana\u2019s way for the franchise to make some noise in a loaded field:<\/p>\n Tyrese Haliburton doesn\u2019t miss a beat once he\u2019s back on the court Tyrese Haliburton says \u201che\u2019s back\u201d after he missed the full season with a torn Achilles | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n The biggest swing factor in Indiana\u2019s status as a potential Eastern Conference contender next season is Haliburton, without a doubt. Pacers president Kevin Pritchard has tailored the roster around his star guard and has paid a hefty price to do so. Haliburton has been one of the NBA\u2019s best facilitators since his arrival in Indiana and he packs a scoring punch, too. <\/p>\n As a Pacer, he\u2019s averaged 19.5 points and 10.1 assists per game as the best combo of a scorer and a passer other than Nikola Joki\u0107 and, more recently, Cunningham. Haliburton shines when it matters most as Indiana\u2019s run to the Finals included his heroics in Game 1 of both the Eastern Conference finals against the Knicks and the NBA Finals against the Thunder<\/a>. His game-winners and clutch shots throughout the magical run made for some of the most memorable playoff moments <\/a>in recent history.<\/p>\n He says he\u2019s back although there\u2019s some more conditioning work ahead. However, 16 months is a long time to miss. He\u2019ll be itching to get back on the court and the Pacers will likely cautiously roll him out, at least to start the season. We saw how bad the team was without Haliburton, which makes any potential time missed a concern. If he\u2019s fully ready to go for the first game of the season, though, the Pacers should make their mark even in a highly competitive Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n Ivica Zubac\u2019s play makes the traded first-round picks a faded memory Ivica Zubac was traded to the Pacers at the NBA\u2019s trade deadline | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Zubac played just five games for the Pacers after his arrival at the trade deadline. The acquisition wasn\u2019t about last season as Indiana\u2019s year was already long gone at that point. We haven\u2019t seen Zubac on a competitive Pacers roster yet, but he was one of the NBA\u2019s most impactful bigs for years before his time in L.A. ended. In 2024\u201325, he averaged a career-high 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in a season where he earned second-team All-Defense honors.<\/p>\n He averaged 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds a night with L.A. last season. He\u2019ll be an elite pick-and-roll partner for Haliburton, a force on the glass and a top-tier last line of defense for a team that sorely needs to improve on the defensive end. It\u2019s a great fit on paper, but we need much more of a sample size of Zubac in Indiana before any conclusions are made on the trade. <\/p>\n The two first-round picks, and especially the 2026 pick, will follow Zubac\u2019s shadow throughout his time with Indiana. L.A. took Illinois guard Keaton Wagler with Indiana\u2019s fifth pick\u2014the Pacers would rather have Zubac with a star guard already in tow. However, that\u2019s a premier pick to give up for any player, and if Wagler or any names that came off the board after him shine, it will be seen as a missed opportunity unless Zubac steps in as the Pacers\u2019 missing piece alongside Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. <\/p>\n The Knicks traded five first-round picks and a pick swap for Mikal Bridges two years ago, which was seen as an incredibly lofty price at the time. Now that New York celebrated a title, though, the picks are all but forgotten. Winning cures all\u2014now, it\u2019s the Pacers\u2019 turn to try to rewrite history on their big deal.<\/p>\n Indiana\u2019s supporting cast shines alongside Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac Andrew Nembhard signed a three-year extension with the Pacers in 2024 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n The core trio of Haliburton, Siakam and Zubac can\u2019t do it all. <\/p>\n Indiana\u2019s Finals run was heavily aided by the elite play of its non-stars. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith shot the lights out over the postseason, Obi Toppin was solid off the bench and T.J. McConnell took over in plenty of games. All four remain on the roster, ready to get back to the playoffs after a dreadful year. <\/p>\n The Pacers signed Kelly Oubre Jr. to a two-year deal in free agency and he slots into the starting lineup nicely next to Haliburton, Siakam, Zubac and Nembhard. Oubre remains an extremely effective wing who can knock down shots when the opposing defense targets Haliburton and Siakam. Jay Huff is an important depth piece for Indiana after a nice year as the team\u2019s starting center following Myles Turner\u2019s exit. In non-Zubac minutes, Huff will be able to protect the rim and he can even shoot it a little bit, too.<\/p>\n During the magical run to the Finals, Indiana\u2019s depth coupled with Haliburton and Siakam\u2019s excellence made it the best team in the East. The Pacers remain one of the deepest teams in the NBA, they just need the supporting cast to keep showing up.<\/p>\n More NBA from Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n Listen to SI\u2019s NBA podcast,\u00a0Open Floor, below or on\u00a0Apple<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Spotify<\/a>. Watch the show on\u00a0SI\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Tyrese](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01ky8w25gggyapry3f68.jpg\" "\\"Tyrese")
<\/p>\n![\"Ivica](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01ky8w5sw3tsg5s7nf4f.jpg\" "\\"Ivica")
<\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01ky8w9fye08x1yhczn4.jpg\" "\\"Andrew")
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