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Tyrese Haliburton Says He Has No Restrictions
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) said Monday that he is 100 percent healthy and will have no restrictions entering the season. "There is no source. I am the source," Haliburton told reporters at media day after missing all of 2025-26 while recovering from a torn right Achilles. Head coach Rick Carlisle was slightly more cautious, saying the Pacers will monitor Haliburton's workload but do not anticipate many limitations. Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in his last healthy season. His return should restore him as Indiana's primary playmaker, while Andrew Nembhard could see some of last year's 7.7-assist workload shift back toward Haliburton.
Source: Tyler Smith
Source: Tyler Smith
Tyrese Haliburton Cleared for Pacers Training Camp
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) will be "100% full go" when training camp opens Tuesday, general manager Chad Buchanan said Thursday. Haliburton missed all of last season after tearing his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. He averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in his last healthy campaign and now gets Ivica Zubac as a new pick-and-roll partner. Indiana could still scale back Haliburton's workload at times as the season progresses, but the full clearance is an encouraging sign for his fantasy outlook. Andrew Nembhard's playmaking volume should come down with Haliburton back running the offense.
Source: Alex Golden
Source: Alex Golden
Tyrese Haliburton May Be Eased in Early by Pacers
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) is expected back for the start of the season, but ESPN's Jamal Collier notes the team may take it slow with him early. Haliburton has had extended recovery time after tearing his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, and he recently said he has been "chomping at the bit" to get back on the court. The Pacers open Oct. 21 in New Orleans, and Haliburton told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star in August that he would be ready if the season started then. The 26-year-old averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 2024-25. Ivica Zubac gives him a new pick-and-roll partner, while Andrew Nembhard, who averaged 16.9 points and 7.7 assists as the lead guard last season, could lose usage once Haliburton is fully unleashed.
Source: Jamal Collier
Source: Jamal Collier
Andrew Nembhard Returns to Off-Ball Duty in Indiana
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard enters his fifth season with a different offensive setup as Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) returns after missing 2025-26. Nembhard handled lead-guard duties well last season, setting career highs with 16.9 points and 7.7 assists while adding 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 31.3 minutes across 57 games. He also shot 36.1 percent from three. The assists and usage should come down if Haliburton is close to full strength, but Nembhard's defense, secondary playmaking, and off-ball shooting should keep him in a steady role. His chemistry with Ivica Zubac in the pick-and-roll is one camp storyline to watch, though the fantasy ceiling is lower than it was when Indiana had no Haliburton.
Source: Alex Golden
Source: Alex Golden
Braden Smith Targets Daily Progress with Pacers
Indiana Pacers guard Braden Smith said he is focused on turning in-game growth into daily progress after a rough Summer League, per Forbes' Tony East. The No. 38 pick shot just 26.5 percent across five games in Las Vegas, though he still averaged 6.8 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. Smith called himself his own hardest critic and said he has been working on his ball handling, decision-making, and pace. The passing gives him a base, but the physicality on defense and lack of clean paint touches showed how far he has to go. With Tyrese Haliburton back and T.J. McConnell entrenched behind him, the Noblesville Boom should see plenty of Smith as a rookie. He is a development name, not a fantasy option.
Source: Tony East
Source: Tony East
Pacers Sign Braden Smith to Two-Way Contract
The Indiana Pacers have signed guard Braden Smith to a two-way contract, the team announced Monday. Smith, the NCAA's all-time career assists leader at Purdue, landed with Indiana after the Pacers acquired the No. 38 pick from Chicago for Kam Jones, future second-round pick swaps, and cash considerations. He averaged 6.8 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across five Summer League starts, though he shot just 26.5 percent from the field. Smith joins Jalen Slawson and Kobe Brown on Indiana's two-way slate and should spend plenty of time with the G-League's Noblesville Boom. He is buried behind Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell, leaving him off fantasy radars barring a major role change.
Source: Indiana Pacers
Source: Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton Calls Out Road Opener
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton took issue with the team's season-opening assignment, saying on the "Numbers on the Board" podcast that he was shocked Indiana opens Oct. 21 at New Orleans without a national TV slot. The All-NBA guard tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and missed all of the Pacers' 19-63 season, so the matchup would be his first NBA game action in roughly 16 months. Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 2024-25, keeping him in bounce-back centerpiece territory. His return should cut into Andrew Nembhard's usage while giving new Pacers center Ivica Zubac a high-end pick-and-roll partner.
Source: Scott Horner
Source: Scott Horner
Braden Smith Nears Two-Way Deal with Pacers
Indiana Pacers guard Braden Smith is in line for a two-way deal after the team waived Ethan Thompson from his two-way contract, according to Spotrac's Keith Smith. Thompson's exit allows him to join Partizan in Serbia and clears a roster path for Smith, the No. 38 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The former Purdue guard left college as the NCAA's all-time assists leader after averaging 14.3 points and 8.8 assists as a senior, and he flashed his passing in Las Vegas with a nine-assist Summer League finale. The fit is developmental, though. With Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell ahead of him, Smith projects for heavy Noblesville Boom minutes and stays off the fantasy radar.
Source: Keith Smith
Source: Keith Smith
Tyrese Haliburton Says He's Season-Ready
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) said Tuesday that he has been medically cleared and would be ready to play if the season started today, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. "If the season was today, I'd be ready," Haliburton said. The two-time All-Star missed all of 2025-26 after tearing his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, but he is playing pickup regularly and said true game conditioning will come during the preseason. In his last full season, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds. Fantasy managers can treat him as a high-end point guard again, though the opening weeks could come with some ramp-up risk. His return also nudges T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard back toward secondary roles.
Source: Dustin Dopirak
Source: Dustin Dopirak
Ethan Thompson Nears EuroLeague Switch
Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson has agreed to terms with Partizan Belgrade on a one-plus-one deal, according to Sportando, citing Nova.rs. The move cannot become official until Indiana parts ways with Thompson, who remains on a two-way contract. The 27-year-old Puerto Rico national team guard went undrafted out of Oregon State and joined the Pacers last December after previous stops in the G-League. He appeared in 32 games as a rookie, making 13 starts for a 19-63 Indiana team while averaging 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 threes in 20.4 minutes. Thompson had no NBA fantasy value, and a move to Partizan would take him off the board entirely.
Source: Sportando
Source: Sportando
Tyrese Haliburton Hopes to Play in 2028 Olympics
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hopes to play for Team USA in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, according to Evan Sidery. The long-term goal is another positive checkpoint in his recovery after he tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and missed all of last season. Haliburton has resumed 5-on-5 work, and Indiana is reportedly optimistic he will be ready for the season opener. The 26-year-old averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 2024-25, so the fantasy ceiling remains high. The risk is the layoff, while Andrew Nembhard's assist volume should take the biggest hit once Haliburton reclaims the offense.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Andrew Nembhard Backs Up SGA With 23 Points for Canada
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard backed up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 23 points, four rebounds, and four assists in Canada's 110-84 rout of Puerto Rico in the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. It capped a strong showing for a player coming off the best season of his career. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined all of 2025-26, Nembhard slid into the lead-guard role and posted career highs of 16.9 points and 7.7 assists over 57 games. Here's the fantasy catch, though: that breakout was largely a product of opportunity. Haliburton is expected back next season, which reclaims the primary ball-handling duties and shrinks Nembhard toward the secondary role he filled before, when he averaged closer to 10.0 points and 5.0 assists. There may be an early-season window while Haliburton ramps up from the Achilles, but don't pay 2025-26 prices. His value fades the moment the offense runs back through Haliburton.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Tyrese Haliburton Says he Feels Healthy After Achilles Rehab
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) stated that he feels great and is "operating like a healthy NBA player." The 26-year-old missed the entire 2025-26 campaign after tearing his right Achilles tendon during the 2025 NBA Finals. He has been participating in 5-on-5 work since April and expects to be unrestricted for training camp. Andrew Nembhard absorbed the primary playmaking duties last season, averaging 16.9 points and 7.7 assists per game. While Nembhard's usage will drastically decrease, Haliburton's return restores a premier offensive engine to the starting lineup. Although the organization could manage his preseason workload, the two-time All-Star should be ready for Opening Night and remains a high-end draft target.
Source: Scott Agness
Source: Scott Agness
