Healthier Tyrese Haliburton Ready For Season, Happy With New Pacers Teammates

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton can tell you how healthy he is, but he’d rather show you.

In late July, the two-time All-NBA guard took to social media to share some footage of his current athletic level. Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 NBA season after tearing his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, then had his rehab process altered in late February when he was diagnosed with shingles. But now, he looks as good as ever.

The video shows Haliburton training in the Pacers practice facility, the St. Vincent Center. He throws himself a pass by lobbing a basketball in front of him, then runs under it before leaping, grabbing the ball with his left arm and pushing it between his legs, then dunking all before he lands.

“I haven’t been able to do that since I was like 20 years old,” Haliburton said. That Eastbay Dunk wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. Haliburton attempted to pull one off several times during his rehab. He said he missed it on multiple occasions but had a bet with his strength coach that was fairly simple: Make that dunk, and Haliburton could skip his lifting for the day.

“For some reason I just felt good that day,” Haliburton said. “I didn’t get to miss my lift. I still had to do the lift.”

Haliburton has been feeling good for many days recently. He said on Wednesday that he’s 100% cleared as it pertains to his Achilles recovery and has no health concerns heading into the coming season. There will still be a ramp up process early in training camp with the Pacers as the former All-Star gets his wind back for game shape, but Haliburton is ready for the coming campaign and will be able to test his explosion against other NBA players soon as he heads out to Los Angeles for some scrimmaging.

“I feel great. I’m doing everything. Playing pickup pretty regularly at this point. So I feel great,” Haliburton said. “I will be ready for the season. If the season was today, I’d be ready. So [it] can't come fast enough.”

The Pacers first preseason game, as revealed by Haliburton himself, will be on October 7 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. That’s where the Iowa State basketball teams play and where Haliburton played his college basketball. It’s a special venue for him, both because he played there and got engaged to his now-wife in the arena last summer. And now, it will be the scene for Haliburton’s return to action after over 15 months without officially playing.

Who will Haliburton be playing with for the first time for the 26-27 Pacers?

It will also be the first time he puts on a Pacers uniform alongside some new teammates. This offseason, Indiana added both Kelly Oubre Jr and Larry Nance Jr in free agency, and Ivica Zubac was traded to the franchise back in February.

Haliburton has yet to play with any of them. Nance and Oubre will be new for everyone, but Zubac – who projects to start at center this season – did get some court time for the blue and gold last year. Haliburton shared that he has yet to practice with Zubac this offseason but isn’t concerned about that reality. In his eyes, they are both smart players, and Haliburton will make sure they are always on the same team during five-on-five settings during training camp so they can build chemistry.

“I’ve never played with a screen setter like this. I’ve never played with a roller like this,” Haliburton said of Zubac. “So I'm really looking forward to it, and I think it's gonna be a lot of fun.”

Oubre and Nance are the two newest Pacers, at least on standard contracts, and Oubre in particular is a major addition. He projects to be a key reserve for Indiana this season and can play multiple positions. The Pacers’ off-ball guard/wing group is now filled with Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Oubre, Jarace Walker, and Ben Sheppard.

That’s solid depth, and Oubre’s size is a meaningful addition to that crew. He has averaged over 11 points per game in every season since 2017-18 while gradually improving as a shooter and a defender.

Haliburton has connected with Oubre before as they both work with the same trainer, Drew Hanlen. They’ve worked out and lifted together in the past, so there is already some familiarity there as Oubre joins the Pacers.

“He’s a guy who has definitely been annoying for me to go against throughout my career, so I’m excited for him to be on our side,” Haliburton began when sharing his opinions on Oubre.

“I think that he adds a lot to us on both sides of the ball, but specifically defensively being able to take on different challenges,” he added. Haliburton pointed to the wing depth of the Eastern Conference continuing to improve as a reason that the Oubre addition is so vital for the Pacers. “You’re gonna need multiple guys to throw at all these good players. And I think Kelly fits right in with that group.”

Nance, meanwhile, projects to be a depth piece on the interior. He has battled injuries in recent seasons and started off the 2025-26 campaign as the backup center for the Cleveland Cavaliers before eventually being replaced in that role. He’s been in the league for 11 years and will be a valuable veteran for Indiana.

He averaged 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last season. “Larry, who’s been in the league for a long time, I think he’s really gonna be able to help with our frontcourt depth,” Haliburton said.

The Pacers have high hopes this season, and Haliburton’s health is the biggest factor in that. But their fresh faces and new-look starting five also provide optimism, and Haliburton is a believer in it all. Truly, it’s his skillset that brings all different kinds of players together and makes them fit.

Healthy once again, he will try to do so with Zubac, Oubre, Nance, and the rest of the 2026-27 Pacers. And the game action will begin in less than two months.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com