The Indiana Pacers lost Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Sunday night, and their 2025-26 season took a hit as well.
Star guard Tyrese Haliburton sustained a torn right Achilles in the first quarter of Game 7, and the injury likely will keep him out for most – if not all – of the 2025-26 season.
Breaking: Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton sustained a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 7 against Oklahoma City, sources tell ESPN. Haliburton played through a calf strain in the same leg during the NBA Finals for an opportunity to win a championship. pic.twitter.com/7pr3z2Lubq
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2025
Without Haliburton, the Pacers are going to face an uphill battle to contend for a title, and his injury reportedly could influence how they handle their 2025 offseason.
Indiana has a big decision to make with center Myles Turner, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
“The big question on the minds of many in league circles is whether Pacers owner Herb Simon will still go into the luxury tax as initially expected to keep Turner now that his franchise star Haliburton could miss a prolonged period,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote as he broke down what’s next for the team.
Turner, 29, has spent his entire 10-year NBA career with the Pacers after he was selected in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. While he was a key part of the Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals in the 2024-25 season, Indiana may decide to avoid paying the luxury tax since the team’s outlook for next season has changed.
In the 2024-25 campaign, Turner averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the arc.
One of the better centers at stretching the floor in the NBA, Turner is a valuable piece and could have a market in the offseason if the Pacers aren’t willing to keep him.
Indiana has made back-to-back deep playoff runs, making the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2023-24 season and NBA Finals in the 2024-25 season. The Pacers have a ton of depth, but Haliburton is the engine that drives the team’s offensive attack.
If Indiana does decide to keep Turner, it likely will be a vote of confidence in the team’s current core to get back to the Finals once Haliburton is able to return. The Pacers are still trying to win their first championship in franchise history after falling just one victory short this year.
