Indiana Pacers announce Tyrese Haliburton will miss the 2025-26 NBA season due to an Achilles injury

The Indiana Pacers have been dealt a major blow ahead of the 2025–26 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, as it has been confirmed that superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton will not play next season.

Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confirmed in the early hours of Tuesday, July 8 (Philippine Standard Time), that the team has decided to give Haliburton all the time he needs to recover and rehabilitate following surgery for a torn right Achilles tendon, which he sustained in Game 7 of the 2024–25 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever. The surgery went well. It was a little higher, and he gets more blood to that area as he recovers. He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardize that now. So don’t get any hopes up that he will play,” Pritchard said to Indiana’s WISH-TV.

#Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confirmed Tyrese Haliburton is out for the 2025-26 season.

“I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever… He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardize that now.” pic.twitter.com/OiSy327pgw

— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) July 7, 2025

Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 while attempting to drive to the basket with 4:55 remaining in the opening quarter. He crumpled to the floor without any contact, was escorted to the locker room with his face wrapped in towels, and did not return to the game. The 25-year-old subsequently underwent surgery in the early hours of Tuesday, June 24 (Philippine Standard Time).

The superstar took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration over the injury, while also thanking fans around the world for their love and support.

There’s no doubt that Haliburton was the breakout star of the 2024–25 playoffs, leading the Pacers to the NBA Finals — at times, almost single-handedly. He averaged 14.0 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game during the Finals, and 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in 73 regular-season appearances. He holds career averages of 17.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game across 333 games for both the Sacramento Kings and the Pacers.

Selected 12th overall by the Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft, Haliburton spent two seasons in Sacramento before being traded — along with Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson — to Indiana in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and a 2023 second-round pick.

Haliburton was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2021, led the league in assists in 2024, and has earned two NBA All-Star selections so far in his career.

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