Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton to make debut as player contributor with NBA on Prime

Indiana Pacers fans don’t have to wait until next season to see Tyrese Haliburton make his season debut … as a broadcaster, that is.

Haliburton will make his debut as a player contributor on “NBA on Prime” with an appearance on “NBA Nightcap” following Tuesday night’s NBA Cup quarterfinals matchups — the first of five such appearances this season. On “NBA Nightcap,” Haliburton is expected to offer commentary on his rehab and game insights for the 2025-26 season.

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The postgame analysis show is in its first season, hosted by broadcaster Taylor Rooks, featuring former NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash and Udonis Haslem, discussing the evening’s NBA action.

When discussing the opportunity with The Athletic, Haliburton spoke highly of the positivity of the broadcast’s coverage and its ability to reach the casual fan:

“I think just being able to talk about the game with people, and not always having to be so critical of players, but just how we can talk about the game and put todayâ€s players in the right limelight. I think it is important.”

“I think that our league, arguably, is one of the only leagues where people are so critical of players that sometimes it can create opinions from the casual fan that they donâ€t even know what theyâ€re talking about.”

“Itâ€s just what theyâ€re hearing on television. I think that Prime is doing a great job of just allowing former players to come on and celebrate our game, which I think is better just overall for everybody.â€

Last season, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. His late-game heroics in the playoffs helped lead the Pacers to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks to advance to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.

This year, the Pacers have struggled to fill Haliburton’s void as a scorer and playmaker. The Pacers are 6-18, currently 14th in the Eastern Conference, while ranking 29th in points per game and last in field goal percentage. Last season, they were seventh and third in those categories, respectively.

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Pascal Siakam is the team’s leading scorer this season, averaging 24.5 points, 7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Fourth-year guard Bennedict Mathurin is also having a career campaign, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

The Pacers have struggled to create assists without their leading playmaker, giving Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell expanded playmaking roles. The Pacers are last in assists, averaging 23.5 per game. Last season, they were third in assists per game, averaging 29.2 per game.

Injuries have also taken a toll on this team, with Mathurin, Nembhard and Obi Toppin all missing a significant portion of the early season. The Pacers are currently on a two-game winning streak and play the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

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