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By Evan Massey
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Indiana Pacers saw their future trajectory changed dramatically during Game 7 of the NBA Finals. After being just one win away from the first championship in franchise history, everything completely fell apart.
In the first quarter of Game 7, star point guard Tyrese Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles. That moment changed the outlook for the franchise.
Gone was the window of opportunity to win a championship next season. While no one can ever say never in the NBA, the Pacers' chances dropped to nearly zero without Haliburton on the court.
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After the injury was officially diagnosed as a torn Achilles, there were some questions about whether or not Haliburton could return late in the season or in the playoffs. That question has now been answered.
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On Monday, team president Kevin Pritchard announced that Haliburton would not play any games during the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.
"I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever," Pritchard said. "He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardize that now."
Haliburton's season has officially ended before it began. Indiana will focus on getting its star point guard back to 100 percent before even considering him playing in a basketball game.
During the 2024-25 NBA season, Haliburton put together another impressive campaign. He played in 73 games, averaging 18.6 points per game to go along with 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from the three-point arc.
Moving forward into the playoffs, Haliburton was not quite as productive. However, he was one of the most clutch players that the NBA has seen.
He played in 23 postseason games, averaging 17.3 points, 8.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. Haliburton shot 46.3 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three-point range.
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While him missing the entire 2025-26 season is a brutal reality for the Pacers, he is just 25 years old. He will have a strong chance to bounce back to full health and pick up his career were he left off in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
There is a lot of work ahead for Haliburton on his road to recovery. Pritchard has full faith in his franchise player and is doing everything he can to help the process by giving him an entire season to rehab.
Hopefully, Indiana will get its star point guard back on the floor at the start of the 2026-27 season. For now, the Pacers will move forward without their franchise player into what will likely be a gap year between championship contention windows.
For more on the Indiana Pacers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
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