The Pacers’ long-awaited return to the NBA Finals after 25 years ended in major heartbreak. Tyrese Haliburton’s devastating Achilles injury in Game 7 only made things worse. Recently, news broke that Hali was ruled out for the 2025–26 season. While he’s been staying upbeat, even joking with his trainers that he feels like he’s “in pre-draft mode”, the Indiana side is busy shaping its new identity. And at the center of that plan? Rick Carlisle has put his faith in one name: Bennedict Mathurin.

Rick Carlisle made his stance clear. “I’ve basically said, it’s his job to lose as a starter. With [Andrew] Nembhard bumping over to point and Tyrese being out, he’s expected to be the starting two. He’s going to have to guard some of the better players, and on both ends. Defensively and offensively, he’s going to carry a big load,” the head coach told NBA on ESPN.

Andrew Nembhard is set to take over as the Pacers’ new starting point guard. Sliding into his old spot at shooting guard will be Bennedict Mathurin, who’s stepping up from his sixth-man role, and we already saw glimpses of that potential last season.

Mathurin stole the spotlight in Game 3 of the Finals, outshining every Pacers starter with a brilliant 27-point explosion off the bench, hitting 9 of his 12 shots, drilling two triples, and missing just one free throw all night.

Bennedict Mathurin’s time with the Pacers has been impressive. Drafted sixth overall in 2022, he quickly gained attention with his scoring and fearless play. Last season, he spent most of his time at small forward, and it paid off. He averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and nearly two assists over 72 games, showing he could be a future cornerstone. Coach Carlisle has always trusted his scoring ability, and it’s easy to see why when he drives to the basket or pulls up for a shot.

But there’s a catch.

Despite strong numbers, Bennedict Mathurin’s role has often changed. He has bounced in and out of the starting lineup, sometimes struggling to fit his one-on-one scoring into the Pacers’ fast, pass-heavy system.

While the Indiana side relies on constant ball movement and quick reads, Mathurin excels at creating his own shot. That mismatch turned him into a bench, but key player, during last season’s Finals, where he came off the bench in every playoff game, even though he’s started 85 of his 209 career appearances.

Now, the challenge ahead is clear. Everyone knows what Mathurin can do on offense. But this season, the spotlight shifts to the other side of the floor. Can he become the on-ball defender the Pacers need? And if not, how will that affect his long-term fit?

The Pacers are also figuring out their bench. Beyond Andrew Nembhard taking the starting role, things get a little uncertain. Backup T.J. McConnell could miss the start of the season, maybe even longer, because of a hamstring injury. Indiana also cut Cameron Payne, who was expected to be their backup point guard, leaving a gap in the rotation. On top of that, rookie Kam Jones is dealing with a back issue and won’t be back until at least mid-November.

That leaves the Pacers looking for short-term solutions. The team might consider giving spot minutes to two-way player Quenton Jackson or rookies Kam Jones and Taelon Peter to fill in as backup point guards until the injured players return… However, there a larger problem that’ll crop up soon in a few months.

No extension for Bennedict Mathurin yet; future still uncertain!

Bennedict Mathurin’s future with the Pacers is starting to look like one of those tricky puzzles. Brett Siegel reported on X, “There will be no extension for Bennedict Mathurin and the Indiana Pacers,” meaning he will enter the final year of his rookie deal and risk becoming a restricted free agent next offseason, “a time where Indiana will need to make major financial decisions for its future.”

That rookie deal, by the way, is worth nearly $30 million over four years, with Mathurin set to earn about $9.19 million this season.

The financial picture isn’t exactly easy.

The Pacers are already over the salary cap this season and have only around $6 million of space under the luxury tax. Looking ahead to 2026-27, they’ve committed roughly $185 million in salary, leaving just $16 million under the projected luxury tax, $24.8 million under the first apron, and $37.55 million under the second apron.

Any major new contract for Bennedict Mathurin right now could squeeze them into a tight spot, making it hard to build the rest of the roster without running into serious cap issues.

Roster-wise, the Pacers also just passed their cut-down deadline for the 2025-26 season. After waiving veteran point guard Cameron Payne, they’re keeping four centers: Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley.

Wiseman and Bradley are on non-guaranteed contracts, so there’s still some wiggle room to make moves, but for now, the team is set with 15 players on standard deals and three on two-way contracts.

However, there’s still a debate about what Bennedict Mathurin is worth…

ESPN’s Bobby Marks argued he deserves an extension, suggesting something like “four years, $68 million,” which would average out to $17 million a year. But even the reporter admits it’s complicated. As Tim Bontemps points out, the Pacers haven’t paid the luxury tax in decades and already has $160 million committed to seven players next season. That leaves just about $40 million to fill out the rest of the roster, and they don’t even have a clear starting center yet. 

Unless Bennedict Mathurin has an exceptional season, his contract situation remains up in the air.

How do you think the Pacers are going to accomodate him?