Outside of Myles Turner and maybe Bennedict Mathurin, most of the Indiana Pacers' 2024-25 team will be around next year. And given that they are likely going to look to re-enter the title picture as soon as Tyrese Haliburton returns, this should bode very well for their chances.
The Pacers should be title contenders once again
This season has been a bit of a disappointment for Indiana, even under the circumstances of Haliburton's injury and Turner's departure. A little over halfway through the season, the Pacers are 10-34 and own the worst record in the East (second-worst in the NBA, only ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans).
Still, the future is bright in Indiana. And there are reasons to think the team could be bound for the NBA Finals as soon as next season.
The core of the Pacers' finals team should still be around well past this season, and they might even be better than they were before.
Andrew Nembhard has made big strides as their starting point guard this season, proving that he can be an even better backcourt partner alongside Haliburton. Additionally, Pascal Siakam is reminding the basketball world just how great he still is, and guys like Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and T.J. McConnell will be ready to contribute to winning basketball next season.
What is going well for Indiana is that there hasn't been a lot of roster turnover over the past few years, and that's not likely to change this year.
Outside of Mathurin (who is set to hit restricted free agency), the Pacers don't have any noteworthy players on expiring contracts. And as it stands, there aren't any reasons to think they will trade someone from last season's core to bolster their roster. Instead, they'll likely just let it ride this season, maybe make a few changes (i.e., landing a new starting center), and run it back with most of the team that was one win away from an NBA title last year.
Continuity is huge in the NBA, but it's even more important for the Pacers. They have such a unique system, largely because of their fast-paced, run-and-gun offense. Not everybody can play this type of basketball, but they do it incredibly well. And having a roster full of players who know how to play their roles and complement one another is going to be key for Indiana moving forward.
The Pacers nearly won their first-ever NBA Championship in 2025. And the sting of that loss might never fully go away for most fans. But at the very least, there is reason to be optimistic that they can get over that hump at some point...maybe even as soon as next year.