Tyrese Haliburton named a wild card to win prestigious award next season

The Indiana Pacers enjoyed a fantastic campaign last season. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and, despite being the No. 6 seed, the team made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a decade. Furthermore, the Pacers made it to the Finals of the inaugural NBA Cup, then known as the In-Season Tournament, although they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Pacers. They are a young team and are fresh off the best season they have had in many years.

A large reason for Indiana's recent success is the emergence of guard Tyrese Haliburton, who the team acquired from the Sacramento Kings in 2022.

Last season, Haliburton averaged 20.1 points, a league-leading 10.9 rebounds, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game.

His impressive campaign led to Haliburton getting selected to the All-NBA Third Team for the first time in his career, as well as his second consecutive All-Star appearance. Haliburton also finished ninth in Most Improved Player voting. Furthermore, Haliburton took home an Olympic gold medal earlier this summer with Team USA.

The Wisconsin native has improved each year he has been in the NBA, and at 24 years old, the sky is the limit for his career. Though he likely has not hit his peak yet, Haliburton has already inserted himself in talks as one of the best young point guards in the NBA and could eventually find himself in MVP discussions.

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton named a wild card to win the NBA MVP award in 2025

Haliburton's recent success has not gone unnoticed.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, writer Greg Swartz named the Pacers star as one of his 10 wild card picks to win the MVP award next season. Furthermore, he called Haliburton "the heart and soul" of the team and said they should be "competitive for years in the East."

Currently, Haliburton (+15000) is tied with the 17th-best odds to bring home the award next season. While there are high expectations for him following his career year last season, an MVP award seems unlikely for Haliburton in 2025. However, at this rate, Haliburton should be a true candidate within the next few years.