The Indiana Pacers should comfortably regain status as top-tier contenders in the Eastern Conference with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton in 2026-27, but that doesn\u2019t mean a few important rotational questions can go unanswered throughout the season.<\/p>\n
Most of Indiana\u2019s crew from their magical 2025 NBA Finals run will return for next season, including Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell, but Bennedict Mathurin\u2019s absence brings forth a few crucial decisions for both the Pacers\u2019 front office and coaching staff heading into this summer.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old offensive-minded wing certainly left an indelible imprint on Pacers lore, authoring an unforgettable 27-point explosion in Game 3 of the 2025 Finals to propel his squad to a 2-1 series lead and a signature 24-point, 13-rebound outing in Indiana\u2019s eventual Game 7 defeat.<\/p>\n
When the Pacers shipped Mathurin to the Los Angeles Clippers<\/a> prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline, along with Isaiah Jackson, to acquire star center Ivica Zubac and forward Kobe Brown, the franchise gained a stalwart under the basket defensively, but let go of their offensive safety blanket from their most memorable postseason run ever. With championship expectations creeping back into the picture, another microwave scorer must make a giant leap in the coming months.<\/p>\n Pacers must search in-house to fill Bennedict Mathurin-sized hole<\/p>\n Mathurin contributed a career-high 17.8 points on 43.3% shooting from the field in his final 28 appearances with the Pacers before the trade, but his status as a soon-to-be restricted free agent in the offseason gave the organization plenty of reasons to pull the trigger on the deal.<\/p>\n
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