Indiana Pacers' 2026-27 projections are all over the place in NBA power rankings
· Yahoo Sports
The Indiana Pacers have taken a wild ride the past two seasons. They reached Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals before losing a franchise-record 63 games in 2025-26 under an avalanche of injuries.
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They believe they can return to championship contender status in 2026-27, with the expected return of Tyrese Haliburton, an inside defensive force in Ivica Zubac, and retaining much of the core and depth of the exciting team that reached the Finals.
The Pacers don't hold a pick in the June 23-24 NBA Draft, but they could make offseason roster moves.
Here's a look at how analysts think they'll fair next season.
Way-too-early NBA power rankings: Will the Indiana Pacers win the 2027 NBA Finals?
Zach Kram, ESPN: Ranked 11th overall, 5th in the East
"Indiana's gap year is complete, and the Pacers are prepared to race back to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
"With (hopefully) full seasons of Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac, as well as Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam returning on the wings, Indiana should boast one of the league's best starting fives next season.
"In 2026-27, Indiana is more likely to win the East than finish with 60-plus losses again."
Law Murray, The Athletic: 21st, 11th in East
"This certainly isn’t a power ranking of lottery misfortune, because that was Indiana’s 64th loss of a truly disastrous season. The Pacers gave up what turned out to be the fifth pick in this year’s draft and the restricted free agency of scorer Bennedict Mathurin (the previous highest draft pick on the team) for what is essentially two seasons of Ivica Zubac. Now, Zubac is going to team up with what should be a decent starting lineup when accounting for Tyrese Haliburton’s return from Achilles surgery. But Indiana really could have used another dynamic shot creator for the short- and long-term future. Instead, their basketball president ended up apologizing. This is not a contender as of right now."
Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report: 13th, 7th in East
"We don't know exactly what Tyrese Haliburton will look like during the 2026-27 season, but even if he's 90 percent of the player he was pre-Achilles tear, the Indiana Pacers have the potential to triple their 2025-26 win total.
"Not having a lottery pick after this gap year felt like a disaster on lottery night, but a starting five with Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac could be one of the East's best.
"They certainly aren't guaranteed to get right back to title contention, especially with a handful of other East teams also on the rise, but a return to the playoffs feels like a safe bet."
Stephen Noh, Sporting News: 7th, 3rd in East
"The Pacers are going to be the hardest team in the league to peg. They were awful without Tyrese Haliburton. Can one or two players completely reverse their fortunes?
"Haliburton and Ivica Zubac will make Indiana better. How much is the question, and I'm betting it's a lot. Pascal Siakam very quietly turned in an All-NBA worthy season, and it would be a mistake to discount how terrific of a coach Rick Carlisle is.
"As bad as these guys were last year, they were leading Game 7 of the 2025 Finals at halftime with mostly the same core. They will be a home court advantage team in the East."
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Pacers season projections in way-too-early NBA power rankings