Tyrese Haliburton Won't Play in 2025-26 NBA Season After Injury, Pacers President Says

Indiana Pacers president Kevin Pritchard revealed that star point guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles.

"I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever... He will not play next year though," Pritchard told reporters Monday. "We would not jeopardize that now. Don't get any hopes up that he will play."

Pritchard also let it be known that if he could do the situation over again, he'd sacrifice that game if it could've protected Haliburton from getting hurt:

Haliburton suffered the injury in the first quarter of Indiana's 103-91 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

He started the contest on a high note prior to the injury, scoring nine points on 3-of-5 shooting in his first seven minutes on the floor. The Pacers initially kept up with the Thunder and held a one-point lead at halftime, but they ultimately couldn't overcome the absence of Haliburton.

The two-time All-Star eventually underwent surgery on June 23.

Haliburton's upcoming extended absence is a tough blow to a Pacers squad looking to clinch a third consecutive playoff spot next season.

He put together a strong 2024-25 campaign prior to the injury, averaging 18.6 points and 9.2 assists to go along with 1.4 steals per game on 47.3/38.8/85.1 shooting splits.

While Haliburton's playoff averages of 17.3 points and 8.6 assists per game represented a step down from his regular-season marks, he hit several clutch shots for Indiana during the team's postseason run.

This included a game-winning jumper that gave the Pacers a 111-110 win over the Thunder in Game 1 of the Finals.

Indiana will also have to move forward without another key starter from last season, as center Myles Turner signed a four-year contract worth $107 million with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency.

While the Pacers look to defend their Eastern Conference crown, they'll have to do so without Haliburton for the entire 2025-26 season.