**Source: Matthew Stockman / Getty**
Heading into the NBA Finals, it seemed like an easy bet that the Indiana Pacers would go into the luxury tax for the first time in almost 20 years to keep this group together and make another run at a title.
Through the first six games of the series, there was nothing to suggest that their mindset had changed. The Pacers pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder, widely considered the best team in the league, to their limit and entered Game 7 as close to an NBA Championship as they have ever been. The first 7 minutes of the game seemed to indicate that it would be a back-and-forth contest, as Tyrese Haliburton came to play, scoring 9 points and going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Then, disaster struck.
Haliburton, who had been playing through a calf strain, went down. The replay made it abundantly clear what had happened, even if we wouldn’t get confirmation until Monday afternoon.
Even without their star, the Pacers would not quit, going into halftime with a 48-47 lead. In the end, however, Oklahoma City proved to be too much and would capture their first title since moving to Oklahoma. Now, as the Thunder enter the offseason with a championship and dreams of a potential dynasty, the Pacers face a much cloudier future.
On the Monday edition of The Ride With JMV, ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks tried to provide some clarity on that future. He and JMV went over what the offseason will look like for the Pacers, if they will go into the luxury tax, and how good the Pacers could still be even with Haliburton on the mend for most, if not all of the 2025-26 season. Listen to that conversation, as well as JMV’s NBA Finals recaps with former IU coach Tom Crean and former Pacer Eddie Gill down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!