The Indiana Pacers have a ton of tough decisions they need to make this offseason, and that is especially true following the Achilles injury to Tyrese Haliburton, who will likely miss all of next season. No matter what they do, the Pacers have to bring back as much of their roster as possible, even if it means having to pay the luxury tax.
Indiana, most notably, has to make a decision on Myles Turner, who is an unrestricted free agent this summer. If the Pacers opt to bring him back, they will most likely be forced to pay the luxury tax, which they have not done in two decades. Additionally, Bennedict Mathurin is eligible for a contract extension in the offseason, and he has made it incredibly difficult for Indiana to move on from him. Signing both players to new deals will put the Pacers in a tough spot financially, but even with Haliburton's injury, they must do whatever they can to run it back as much as possible.
The Pacers will likely still be competitive next year
Being at least a luxury tax is practically a death sentence for teams not competing (see: the Phoenix Suns, who failed to make the playoffs last season despite having the highest payroll in the league). However, despite likely being without their star guard for the entirety of next season, the Pacers are probably still going to be a playoff contender, even if a second consecutive NBA Finals appearance seems like a pipe dream.
The Eastern Conference is wide open for the 2025-26 season. In addition to Indiana, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are in tough spots due to Achilles injuries to Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard. Furthermore, it still remains to be seen who the New York Knicks' new head coach will be, and the Pacers can still be competitive alongside teams like the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons in the conference. While this will likely just be a gap year for Indiana, they still have a good opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs and keep their core together, which will be beneficial for when Haliburton makes his return.
So far, players like Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker have all been considered potential trade candidates due to interest from rival teams. However, barring a trade that would be too good to reject, the Pacers would benefit from keeping all three of these players around, especially since they all may be in line for bigger opportunities next year.
The Pacers have built a roster that is not only good enough to make it to back-to-back conference finals but also take the best team in the NBA to a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. It will be incredibly difficult for them to make it back next season, but they still have a bright future, even with Haliburton's injury. There are reasons to believe this Pacers team can make it back to the big stage once again in the near future. However, in order for them to do so, they need to bring back as many players from this roster as possible, no matter the cost.