NBA
Indiana was granted a disabled player exception for Tyrese Haliburton’s injury
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated2 hours ago on July 24, 2025
The Indiana Pacers went on an incredible playoff run in 2025. Nobody thought the six-seed Pacers would make it to the NBA Finals. No team epitomized what it means to play team basketball more than Indiana.
Unfortunately, their playoff run ended in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. All-star PG Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles, and it was a major blow for Indiana. This offseason, the team applied for a disabled player exception. General manager Chad Buchanan noted that the team was granted a disabled player exception worth $14,104,000.
Indiana could target a PG with their disabled player exception
Chad Buchanan on the Pacers applying for & being granted a Designated Player Exception (DPE) for Tyrese Haliburton’s season ending Achilles injury.
Chad also discusses if the Pacers will plan on using the DPE to add more help at point guard.
🔗 https://t.co/8PTYSWlHuW pic.twitter.com/cQAhy8Rj38
— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) July 21, 2025
This offseason, the Indiana Pacers applied for DPE, also known as a disabled player exception. Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles late in the 2025 playoffs. As a result, he’ll miss the entire 2025-26 season. That’s why Indiana was eligible for the DPE this offseason. General manager Chad Buchanan said he’s unsure if the team will use the DPE or not this offseason.
He noted that using the disabled player exception would put the Pacers in the luxury tax. Buchanan said the team isn’t opposed to that option, but it has to be for the “right player.” The DPE can be used to sign a free agent, claim someone off waivers, or acquire a player via trade. Because Tyrese Haliburton was set to make $45 million next season, Indiana got the value of the mid-level exemption MLE.
Pacers Granted Disabled Player Exception https://t.co/4sRpptQYes pic.twitter.com/wYshR16GVP
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) July 24, 2025
When speaking on the Setting the Pace Podcast, Chad Buchanan noted the team would target a PG if they were to sign anyone. He noted the team hasn’t pursued that possibility “super hard” this offseason. Indiana wants to develop their talent from within. They have younger guards who need playing time to develop.
That includes RayJ Dennis, Kam Jones, and Quenton Jackson. Without Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard will start at PG, and Bennedict Mathurin will be plugged into the starting lineup. That will open up playing time off the bench. It’s safe to say the Pacers are in no rush to use the DPE anytime soon. The deadline is March 10. They’ll have plenty of time to assess their start to next season and see if they need to add PG depth.
