The Indiana Pacers need to decide who their point guard is going to be next season.
It wouldn't be smart to put too much pressure on Tyrese Haliburton right away. He could return to form sooner rather than later, but nothing is going to change the fact that he will be over a year removed from live NBA action and fresh off an Achilles tear the next time he sees the court for Indiana.
Additionally, T.J. McConnell is going to be 34 years old at the start of next season. His minutes per game have gone down each year since 2020-21 (he is currently averaging a career-low 17 MPG). He is still an important part of the Pacers' success, but they will need some insurance behind him. The question still remains, though: who is that going to be?
The Pacers still need a third point guard
In some ways, Indiana's third point guard is just Andrew Nembhard. He's done a good job of running the point in Haliburton's absence this season. And as the Wisconsin native settles back in next season, it wouldn't be a shock if Indiana relies on Nembhard a bit more than in the past to handle point-guard duties.
However, assuming the Pacers don't land someone like Darryn Peterson in this year's draft, they're going to need Nembhard to go back to being Haliburton's perfect backcourt partner. The two complement each other incredibly well, and putting too much on the Canadian native's plate next season could ruin some of that dynamic as he would more or less just be an unofficial Haliburton fill-in (still).
Indiana does have other internal options to monitor as well, and they may spend the rest of the season doing exactly that to find their answer.
Rookie Kam Jones hasn't had too many opportunities this season, but he's shown flashes. In the month of February, the Marquette alum has averaged 6.8 points, 2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 46.7% from the field in five games. He has improved as a playmaker and passer and has the confidence to fit in well with this Pacers team.
Additionally, Quenton Jackson could finally be in line for a real opportunity in Indiana, which fans have been clamoring for. He has put together many solid moments this season (including a 25-point, 10-assist double-double against the Golden State Warriors in November and a 24-point performance off the bench against the Utah Jazz earlier this month). And many believe he is deserving of a standard contract.
There could also be some intriguing options in free agency this summer, such as Tyus Jones and Ayo Dosunmu.
Right now, the Pacers don't need to know the answer for sure. But they're going to need to find it by the start of next season to bolster their backcourt as much as possible before a possible championship push.