Tyrese Haliburton Says He Has No Restrictions and Indiana Is Built to Run Through Him Again

Tyrese Haliburton told reporters at Pacers media day on Monday that he is 100% healthy and will have no restrictions entering the 2026-27 season, the clearest signal yet that Indiana's franchise point guard is ready to resume his full role after missing all of last season with a torn Achilles.

For fantasy managers, that statement moves Haliburton from a risky mid-round gamble toward a legitimate early-round target, with one important caveat: head coach Rick Carlisle was more measured, saying decisions about Haliburton's workload will be made in consultation with the team's training staff.

The road back

Haliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals after trying to play through a calf strain in what was Indiana's best shot at a first championship. He missed the entire 2025-26 season, and without him the Pacers fell apart, finishing 19-63, the worst record in franchise history.

Achilles injuries have historically been among the most difficult for NBA players to fully recover from, particularly for players who rely on quickness and change of direction. The 15-month recovery window Haliburton has had is on the longer end of typical timelines, which works in his favor. He has had time not only to heal but to rebuild strength and conditioning without rushing.

His own statement was unambiguous: healthy, fully recovered, no restrictions. Players often project confidence at media day, and the real test will come in preseason games. But the length of the recovery and the absence of any reported setbacks make his optimism credible.

The Pacers roster around him

Indiana's supporting cast is largely the same group that reached the Finals. Pascal Siakam returns as the second star, and Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin are all back. The Pacers added Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. for depth.

The biggest move came in February, when Indiana acquired center Ivica Zubac from the Clippers. The cost looked steeper after the fact, because the draft pick Indiana sent in the deal landed at No. 5. But Zubac gives Haliburton a reliable screen-and-roll partner and a rebounder, which fits the pace-and-space offense Carlisle ran during the Finals season.

Fantasy outlook

Tyrese Haliburton is a second- or third-round target in category leagues, with assists, threes and efficiency as his core strengths. Before the injury, he was one of the league's elite assist producers with very low turnovers relative to his usage, and those skills are less dependent on explosiveness than scoring off the dribble. If he stays on the court, he can return first-round value in nine-category formats.

The risk is games played. Even with no restrictions, the Pacers are likely to be careful with back-to-backs early in the season, and managers should factor in a handful of missed games. In points leagues, his value is slightly lower because his scoring volume has always trailed other elite point guards.

Pascal Siakam loses some usage with Haliburton back, but his efficiency should improve with a true point guard setting him up. He remains a solid mid-round pick.

Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell take the biggest fantasy hits. Both were pressed into larger ball-handling roles without him, and Haliburton's return pushes them back into secondary roles. Nembhard's value drops from a startable guard in most formats to a deep-league option.

Ivica Zubac should benefit from Haliburton's passing. Pick-and-roll lobs and easy baskets around the rim are a natural fit, and Zubac's rebounding makes him a mid-round center target.

The betting angle

Any Indiana win total has to price in a big rebound from last season's 19-win disaster, and much of that projection rests on Haliburton's health. A fully healthy Haliburton could push the Pacers back toward the upper half of the Eastern Conference. Bettors who believe his recovery claims should look at the Pacers over and their playoff odds, which may still carry some discount from last season's collapse.

The downside risk is obvious: if Haliburton misses significant time again, the Pacers could fall well short of a number built around his availability.

The Verdexed model take

The Verdexed NBA model will account for Haliburton through two channels. The first is its star player impact feature, which measures lost production from players listed out. With Haliburton healthy, that penalty disappears for Indiana, a shift from a season in which the team was without its best player every night.

The second channel is schedule stress. The model tracks back-to-backs and games in four nights, and those features matter more for a team that may rest a star in those spots. If Indiana manages Haliburton on the second night of back-to-backs, those will be games where the model marks the Pacers down, and where fading them against rested opponents is the most direct angle.

Early in the season, form-based features such as point differential and recent results have very little data behind them, and a team coming off a 19-63 season carries a reputation that can lag its real strength. That creates a window where the Pacers may be underpriced, and it is the stretch where bettors who trust the Haliburton recovery have the most to gain.

What's next

Preseason games will be the first real test. Watch Haliburton's minutes, his willingness to attack the rim and how the Pacers manage him on consecutive days. If he plays close to normal preseason minutes without issues, his draft stock should rise further.

For fantasy managers drafting now, Haliburton is worth the risk in the second or third round. For bettors, the Pacers' early-season lines may offer value before the market fully adjusts to a healthy roster.