Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton will miss the 2025-26 NBA season after having surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon.
The 25-year-old had sustained the injury during the first quarter of the decisive game seven of the NBA Championship play-off finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder last month.
Haliburton fell down without any contact as he attempted to drive to the basket and was in obvious distress as he was helped from the court during the game that the Pacers lost 103-91 to end their hopes of a first NBA title.
Confirming the point guard’s lengthy absence, Pacers president Kevin Pritchard said he hoped Haliburton “will be back better than ever”.
“The surgery went well,” Pritchard told WISH-TV.
“He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardise that now. So don’t get any hopes up that he will play.”
A two-time All-Star, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 73 games during the 24-25 regular season and 14 points, 5.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds during the NBA Finals.
He had played the decider against the Thunder despite suffering a calf strain in game five of the finals.
Haliburton became the third high-profile player to suffer a ruptured Achilles tendon in the play-offs, following the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard.
A similar injury had also kept Kevin Durant out for a full season when he was hurt in the 2019 NBA Finals while playing for the Golden State Warriors.
