Pacers' 3 Biggest Mistakes of Disappointing 2025 Offseason

Hot off their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years, the Indiana Pacers had a frustrating offseason.

Indiana obviously had to grapple with the devastating Achilles tendon tear suffered by two-time All-NBA Third Team point guard Tyrese Haliburton at the worst possible time — the first quarter of a very winnable Game 7 in the NBA Finals.

Indiana managed to hold onto a lead through the end of the first half, but eventually fell apart without its floor general at the end of the bout.

Haliburton has already been ruled out for the entire 2025-26 season, as the Pacers hope an extended timeline (the earliest he can come back is now the October 2026 preseason, roughly 15 months after the injury) will help his recovery follow the relatively successful trajectory of 15-time All-Star Houston Rockets power forward Kevin Durant.

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There's a decent chance Haliburton is never at quite the same level when he returns, a fate that befell 18-time All-Star former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant after his 2013 Achilles tear.

So team president Kevin Pritchard didn't look to make moves with an eye contention. Instead, he appeared to prioritize savings and cost-effective fringe roster additions.

Here are Indiana's three biggest mistakes of the summer:

1. Not Re-Signing Myles Turner

Whatever you believe happened in contract negotiations, the bottom line is that Turner is now with the loathed non-contender Milwaukee Bucks on a sweet four-year, $108.9 million deal — a value that may be on the high end of what pundits felt he deserved, but certainly not an unreasonable agreement for a modern 3-and-D center who can protect the rim and defende smaller players on switches with equal aplomb.

Turner's annual salary would have put Indiana into the league's luxury tax apron, a space the club hasn't been in 21 years, and is clearly reticent to keep exploring.

2. Not Replacing Myles Turner with a Starting-Caliber Center

Rather than bring in a more proven starting center to replace Turner, Pritchard re-signed free agent bigs Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman, both of whom missed almost all of 2024-25 with devastating Achilles tendon tears of their own. He also traded for ex-Memphis Grizzlies stretch five Jay Huff.

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None of these players are at Turner's level, obviously, and while all three still have some upside, a team that appeared ready-made to get right back to title contention in 2026-27 deserved better.

3. Extend Bennedict Mathurin

The chippy sixth man guard (who may be elevated to a starting shooting guard role, with Andrew Nembhard shifted to a point guard role) became extension-eligible at the start of the 2025-26 season in July. He could be on the cusp of a major breakout this year, with more time and touches sans Haliburton. So it would behoove Pritchard to sign him to a team-friendly deal now before letting him reach restricted free agency next summer. The 2026 market looks pretty shallow, meaning a team could make a big bid for Mathurin's services.

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For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.