Tyrese Haliburton suffered a brutal Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It was a bitter ending for the star point guard and the Indiana Pacers, as the franchise lost the championship while Haliburton had to come back from a serious injury. On Monday, reports confirmed he'll be out for the entire 2025-26 season.

The plan is for the 25-year-old point guard to return after the 2025-26 season. Pacers' president of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard, confirmed that Tyrese Haliburton will not play next season, while talking with WISH-TV News. Indiana wants to allow Haliburton to fully recover from the injury and will not rush him back onto the court.

“I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever,” said Pritchard. “The surgery went well… He will not play next year, though. We would not jeopardize that now. Don't get any hopes up that [Haliburton] will play.”

This is the news Pacers fans were expecting all along, as Achilles tears typically take a full year to recover from. The good news is that Tyrese Haliburton is still young and should be able to bounce back without a hiccup once he does return. But he'll be sidelined for quite some time before then.

Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury puts Indiana in a weird spot. Coming off a Finals appearance, the franchise must now find a way to address the roster for next season, while also thinking about Haliburton's return. The Pacers already lost center Myles Turner in free agency to the Milwaukee Bucks, so it's possible the front office focuses on youth and development next season.

That would give Indiana a chance to have a mini-rebuild while Tyrese Haliburton nurses his injury. The franchise could be in a situation where it acquires a talented prospect in next year's NBA Draft, while also being in a position to sign an exciting free agent or two this time next year.

It might be a long year next season. However, the long-term outlook for the Pacers is still fantastic. Especially if Tyrse Haliburton can return to form, as he was one of the most clutch performers in the 2024-25 playoffs.