Indiana Pacers fans are no strangers to drama, but this October, it’s not a wild playoff finish or a blockbuster trade setting the tone—it’s a candid confrontation and looming contract questions that have everyone talking. The spotlight, as ever, is firmly on Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, two of the franchise’s brightest hopes, each facing their own crossroads as the 2025-26 NBA season approaches.
Let’s start with Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ All-NBA point guard and the heartbeat of Indiana basketball. On October 18, 2025, Haliburton surprised viewers during a taped conversation with Yahoo Sports analyst Kevin O’Connor by confronting him about a deleted tweet from the previous year. The tweet, originally posted on May 15, 2024, after the Pacers’ Game 5 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, had labeled Haliburton as “aloof,” accused him of “dilly-dallying around the perimeter,” said he “lacks aggression,” and even called him “too much of a cone on defense.”
Haliburton, never one to shy away from criticism, read these phrases back to O’Connor and questioned the tone and framing. “It sounded like a shock-jock radio host,” Haliburton quipped, acknowledging he’d had a bad game but pushing back on the harshness of the language. The moment, preserved in a recent YouTube interview, was as raw and real as it gets in today’s social media-driven sports world.
O’Connor, for his part, stood by one basketball point—Haliburton’s pull-up mid-range shot is a viable counter when defenders chase him off the three-point line—but admitted that, “the overall message was too harsh,” which is why he deleted the tweet. He also credited Haliburton for his defensive improvement since that tough playoff outing, showing a willingness to walk back earlier criticism and recognize growth.
This exchange comes as Haliburton is deep in rehab following a devastating right Achilles tear suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury, which struck early in the decisive contest, has ruled him out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season. The Pacers have made it clear he won’t rush back, and Haliburton himself has been vocal about focusing on recovery milestones, staying involved with team culture, and maintaining a growth mindset throughout his rehab.
“I had a bad game,” Haliburton admitted during the conversation, but his willingness to address criticism head-on speaks volumes about his maturity and leadership. For Indiana, having their franchise player so engaged—even from the sidelines—sends a powerful message to the locker room and the fanbase alike. It’s not just about what happens on the court; it’s about setting a tone of accountability and resilience, especially when adversity strikes.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are navigating another crucial storyline: the future of rising star Bennedict Mathurin. The 6-foot-5 guard out of Arizona has steadily improved since being drafted and now faces a pivotal moment as the deadline for a contract extension looms. According to ESPN analysts Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps, the Pacers have until October 20, 2025, to lock Mathurin into a new deal, or else he’ll hit restricted free agency next summer.
With Haliburton sidelined for the season, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has already confirmed that Mathurin will step into a starting role. That’s a significant opportunity for a player who averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.7 steals per game last season, shooting .458 from the field, .340 from three, and .831 from the line over 72 regular-season contests. Notably, Mathurin came off the bench in 60% of his games over the past three years but still managed to lead all reserves in postseason points in 2024-25—a testament to his scoring prowess and readiness for increased responsibility.
The question now is whether Indiana will pay up before the extension deadline. Marks, a former NBA team president, suggests a four-year, $68 million offer—an average of $17 million per year—would be fair, given Mathurin’s production and status as one of only four players in his draft class to surpass 3,000 career points. “Mathurin’s production over the past three years should warrant an extension that pays an average of $17 million,” Marks writes, emphasizing the value Mathurin brings, especially with Haliburton out.
But there’s a catch. The Pacers already have $80 million committed to Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell for the 2025-26 season, and their total payroll for next year sits at a hefty $160 million. That leaves Indiana with about $40 million to fill out the rest of the roster while staying below the luxury tax threshold—a line the franchise hasn’t crossed in decades. “Getting something done that Mathurin would accept now feels too rich for the Pacers within those constraints,” Bontemps notes, predicting the team will likely wait until Mathurin becomes a restricted free agent before negotiating a new contract.
Financial caution isn’t new for the Pacers, who have long prided themselves on smart cap management and internal development. But with Haliburton out and Mathurin poised for a breakout season, the pressure to keep core talent in-house is mounting. The front office will have to weigh the risk of letting Mathurin’s price tag rise with a strong season against the realities of the salary cap and luxury tax.
In the meantime, Indiana will rely on Andrew Nembhard to handle more playmaking duties and lean on their added guard depth to weather Haliburton’s absence. Nembhard, who supplanted Mathurin as the starting two-guard when Haliburton was healthy, now finds himself in an even bigger spotlight. The team’s ability to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference may hinge on how well this reshuffled backcourt can gel and whether Mathurin can translate his bench scoring to consistent starter production.
The current situation also underscores the evolving nature of NBA stardom in the age of social media. Haliburton’s willingness to confront critics publicly, coupled with his transparent approach to rehab, sets a new standard for player engagement and accountability. O’Connor’s platform shift—from The Ringer to Yahoo Sports—only amplifies the visibility of these interactions, ensuring that every word and every tweet is scrutinized by fans and analysts alike.
As the 2025-26 season tips off without Haliburton on the court, all eyes will be on Mathurin and Nembhard to carry the load, while the front office faces tough decisions about the future. The deleted tweet may be gone, but the conversations it sparked—about growth, criticism, and the business of basketball—are very much alive in Indiana.
For now, the Pacers’ faithful will have to wait and see if Mathurin’s breakout performance this season is enough to force the team’s hand on an extension. One thing’s certain: with Haliburton leading by example off the court and Mathurin stepping up on it, the next chapter in Indiana basketball promises to be anything but dull.
