Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has been diagnosed with shingles and will be away from the team for multiple weeks. The condition adds to the team's challenging 2025-26 season, following his season-ending Achilles injury. Coach Rick Carlisle described the situation as unique but expressed confidence in Haliburton's recovery.
The Indiana Pacers' already difficult 2025-26 season has taken another turn with the diagnosis of shingles for their sidelined superstar, Tyrese Haliburton. Already ruled out for the year due to a torn right Achilles tendon sustained in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Haliburton now deals with this viral infection, which causes a painful rash and stems from the chickenpox virus.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle addressed the matter after the team's 134-130 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, dropping their record to 15-43, the second-worst in the league. "It's a very painful thing," Carlisle said. "He will make a full recovery, but this happened over the last few days. He was meeting us in D.C. and had some odd symptoms and he came back here. That's what's happening with him. We certainly wish him a speedy recovery. It's a unique case and a unique situation, but I talked to him a few times and he's always in a good mood, so he'll get through it."
Haliburton's Finals injury occurred midway through the first quarter after he hit three 3-pointers early on. The Pacers' struggles this season stem largely from an injury crisis, with 25 players appearing in at least one game and their most-used lineup logging just 96 minutes together. Notable absences include T.J. McConnell (hamstring, 10 games), Andrew Nembhard (shoulder, 7 games), Bennedict Mathurin (foot and thumb, 22 games pre-trade), Obi Toppin (foot, 55 games), Aaron Nesmith (knee, 19 games), Isaiah Jackson (concussion, 13 games pre-trade), Johnny Furphy (ankle and ACL, season-ending), and Ivica Zubac (ankle, 6 games since trade).
Only Jay Huff has played in every game, with Jarace Walker and Pascal Siakam missing fewer than 10 each. The team's 2026 first-round pick, reacquired in a June 2025 trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, was later included in a deadline deal sending Mathurin, Jackson, and picks to the Los Angeles Clippers for Zubac and Kobe Brown. That pick is protected 1-4 and 10-30, meaning the Pacers risk losing it if it falls between 5-9. Currently three games ahead of the Sacramento Kings for the league's worst record, the Pacers hold a 52.1% chance of a top-four pick if they secure one of the three worst records.
