Obi Toppin (left) sizes up Naz Reid (right) during a 2026 regular season game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Photo by Clay Maxfield
A YEAR AFTER advancing to Game 7 of the NBA Finals against league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Indiana Pacers closed out their 2025–26 season in a much different fashion, finishing with a 19-63 record—the worst in franchise history.
Amid this tragic turnaround, however, there is a sense of hope for the blue and gold heading into the summer months, despite the Pacers missing the playoffs—for only the third time over the past decade.
“We’ve been battling injuries. It’s been a tough year, but we appreciate you guys showing up and showing love every game,” said Tyrese Haliburton in a pregame address to fans ahead of the team’s final tipoff of the season at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “You guys are the best fans in the world. And don’t get used to the Pacers not playing in April, May, and June.”
In a season when the Pacers had an ever-shifting starting lineup due to a multitude of injuries (most notably Haliburton’s torn right Achilles tendon), greater focus was put on developing the team’s young crop of talent, with players like Andrew Nembhard and Jarace Walker averaging career highs in points and minutes played. With the departure of Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks, the team also looked to fill a hole at center, giving newcomers Jay Huff and Micah Potter a great deal of playing time before eventually acquiring Ivica Zubac ahead of the league’s trade deadline.
While navigating tough terrain, the Pacers were undoubtedly led by the always-steady Pascal Siakam, who earned an All-Star nod for the second straight year despite the team’s less-than-favorable spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Even with injury troubles of his own, the team’s starting power forward averaged 24 points and 6.6 rebounds, carrying the blue and gold to several victories with his sheer will and veteran grit.
After the NBA Draft Lottery, the Pacers’ 2026 draft pick went to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Zubac deal when their pick fell between five and nine, a condition that was stated earlier in the season when they shipped Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and draft capital for the future frontcourt piece of the blue and gold.
In addition to new offseason additions, Indiana will return with a similar squad as the one that went to their last NBA Finals (assuming the team returns healthy), with Haliburton, Siakam, Nembhard, and Nesmith all looking to bounce back strong with the help of newly acquired Zubac. Although the last several months may have been tough for fans, all seems promising in Pacers land in the 2026–27 season.