Pacers Veteran Responds to Surprising New Contract with Indiana

The Indiana Pacers have had an eventful summer.

After losing two-time All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton to a devastating Achilles tendon tear during Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Indiana's 2025-26 season ceiling was lowered significantly. The 6-foot-5 Iowa State product is the club's best player, and will miss the entire year recovering.

Then, 3-and-D starting center Myles Turner departed the team unceremoniously after 10 seasons, signing a four-year, $108.9 million deal to turn traitor and link up with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Indiana responded with quieter moves, re-signing free agent centers Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman and trading for stretch five Jay Huff, all in an effort to replace Turner.

Jackson has always appreciated his tenure in Indiana, it appears.

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So when he was able to come back — on a fairly generous three-year, $21 million contract that speaks to the Pacers front office's evident internal expectations for his upside — it was the move Haliburton was hoping for all along, writes Tony East of Forbes.

“It meant a lot. I love the organization, I love the team camaraderie we’ve got as a collective,” Jackson said of his return. “Just the guys from last year. Just being able to watch the playoff run and being there to experience that. [It’s] something that I wanted to do, to be a part of.”

Jackson tore his Achilles tendon just five games into his 2024-25 season. The 6-foot-9 Kentucky product finished his run with 7.0 points on 60.9 percent field goal shooting and 50 percent free throw shooting, plus 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists.

“I told (Pacers general manager) Chad [Buchanan] and [team president Kevin Pritchard], I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Jackson said. “I wanted to be here from the beginning. I want to stay here.”

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Although retaining Jackson may not be the kind of news that earns much attention on "SportsCenter," it's a quietly impactful move that pay dividends for a team now searching for its long-term Myles Turner replacement when Haliburton is back healthy.

Head coach Rick Carlisle, for one, raved about Jackson's athleticism during a recent interview, according to Alex Golden of The Blue And Golden.