The 2025-26 season was a rough one for the Indiana Pacers, who finished with a franchise-worst 19-63 record, as All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton missed the entire campaign due to an Achilles injury. But even though the Pacers' season was a big disappointment, it wasn't all bad, especially for Jarace Walker.
Walker had a rough go at it in his first two seasons with the Pacers, not playing a consistent role and just looking lost whenever he stepped on the court. But the Houston alum took advantage of Indiana's "gap year" this past season, even calling it an "amazing" experience (h/t Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star).
"It was amazing," Walker said. "It was so beautiful and I'll never take this year for granted because I've grown so much throughout this season. That's because I was able to play through mistakes, play with different lineups, play with different people that I've never played with before. It's been beautiful. It's been a blessing in disguise for sure."
Jarace Walker took advantage of the Pacers' down year
He still has his flaws, but Walker developed into a legitimate contributor this season and played some of the best basketball of his career. In 76 games, he averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 41.9% from the field and 37.4% from deep (and since Christmas, he averaged 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1 steal on 46.6/42.4% shooting splits in 46 games).
Additionally, he looked way more comfortable on both sides of the ball, becoming a bit more of a shot-creator and finally using his physicality to his advantage defensively (though he still has some room to grow).
With the Pennsylvania native eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension this summer, his days with the Pacers could be numbered as they look to avoid the luxury tax. And while it makes sense, it's not totally fair to Walker, who finally took that leap that fans were hoping to see out of him for about three years. He has his moments, but he is beginning to look like an NBA player, and he can provide a lot of value in Indiana.
Walker is still young (at just 22 years old, he's the youngest player on the roster not named Johnny Furphy), and he still has a lot of untapped potential. He might never become the player everybody thought he would become heading into the 2023 draft, but he can still impact the game in a lot of ways. He's a jack-of-all-trades type of player who can score, shoot, defend, pass, rebound, and handle the ball. And because of that, he can complement the game of just about everybody on the roster.
This past season wasn't a fun one for Pacers fans, especially in comparison to the last couple of campaigns (and probably the next couple), but it wasn't totally a lost cause. And Walker is proof of that.
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