Indiana Pacers Exercise Option on Star Guard Tyrese Haliburton

As expected, the Indiana Pacers have picked up the option on Tyrese Haliburton’s contract, essentially slotting the do-it-all guard as the cornerstone of the franchise.

Tyrese Haliburton’s contract includes a team option through the 2023-24 NBA season, and as highly anticipated, the Indiana Pacers have picked it up. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Pacers have picked up the fourth-year option on Haliburton, along with the third-year options for young guns Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson. There’s no surprise in this announcement, especially in the case of Haliburton, who is pegged to be the next Pacers franchise player.

Haliburton, the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is steadily rising among the best young players in the league. With excellent basketball instincts and a lengthy 6-foot-5 frame for a point guard, Haliburton is a perfect fit in today’s positionless game. Originally drafted by the Sacramento Kings, the rebuilding Pacers traded for him last season, and he has flourished at Indiana. The 22-year-old guard put up career-highs of 17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.6 assists, and 1.8 steals in the 26 games that he played for the Pacers. He shot a tremendous 41.6% clip from the three-point line, while also slightly improving his free throw rate.

Along with Tyrese Haliburton, Duarte and Jackson are also expected to be at the forefront of the Pacers’ rebuild. Duarte averaged 13.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in his rookie year, while Jackson normed 8.3 points, 4.1 boards, and 1.4 blocks in just 15.0 minutes per game. With many people expecting the Pacers to struggle this season, it’s intriguing to know if they will go all-in on a rebuild. They have high-value pieces in possible trade scenarios, including defensive big man Myles Turner, and veteran shooting guard Buddy Hield.