Rick Carlisle’s Indiana Pacers sit rock bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 15-43 record. It’s no secret that they’re still reeling from last season’s disheartening loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, not to mention the season-ending injury to franchise star Tyrese Haliburton. However, the coach had a concerning update for Pacers fans regarding Haliburton on Sunday.

Carlisle told the media that Haliburton was not with the team as he’s recovering from a bout of shingles. This is a type of skin rash caused by the same virus as chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

“He’s come down with shingles, which, you know, is a very painful thing, and he’ll likely be away from the team for at least two or three weeks as he recovers,” Carlisle told reporters.

According to the CDC, an estimated 1 million Americans get shingles each year. Early signs include burning pain, tingling in the rash area, headache, or fever before a one-sided rash (left or right side of the body) with blisters appears. Triggers include high stress, weakened immunity from over-training, pre-existing medical conditions, or medications that suppress the immune system.

Although Haliburton is on track to make a full recovery, this might derail his rehab program as he continues to recover from last year’s ACL tear.

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“He will make a full recovery,” Carlisle said. “This happened over the last few days. He was meeting us in DC and had some odd symptoms and ended up coming back here, so that’s what’s happening with him. We certainly wish him a speedy recovery. It’s a unique case, a unique situation. I’ve talked to him a few times, and he’s always in a good mood, so he’ll get through it. Trying to survive at a high level without a guy like that is extremely difficult.”

For basketball players, shingles causes severe pain, disrupting training and subsequent recovery schedules. Shingles also affects high-intensity activities like sprinting or jumping due to fatigue, rash, discomfort, and nerve pain. It can lead to complications such as skin infections, encephalitis, or pneumonia if left untreated.

There aren’t many documented cases of shingles among NBA players. One such widely reported case dates back decades, to 1985, when Magic Johnson missed a few regular-season games due to blisters on his face. He was sent to a physician, who soon confirmed the ailment as shingles.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it can take 3 to 5 weeks from the time symptoms start until the shingles rash completely disappears. Other symptoms then improve within 7 to 10 days.

Therefore, the Pacers will need to give Haliburton the necessary time required to make a full recovery before they resume off-court rehab.

Will Tyrese Haliburton play for the Indiana Pacers this season?

25-year-old Haliburton has not featured for Indiana since tearing his Achilles during the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The injury occurred at the 5:00 mark, when he received a pass outside the three-point line, pushed off for a drive, and collapsed after a heavy load led to a visible tendon snap. He immediately grabbed his lower right leg, banged the floor in frustration, shouting, “No.”

Haliburton immediately underwent surgery shortly after and was ruled out of the 2025-26 season. The Wisconsin-born point guard has been seen on the Pacers’ bench during games, cheering on his teammates. However, he is not expected to step onto the court this season.

“I’m approaching week 31 here, so almost going on eight months, man, I feel really good,” Haliburton said on Mind the Game in January. “My body feels really good. I just started playing like three-on-three and four-on-four full court.”

Haliburton, who turns 26 next week, is also expected to make a full recovery from his shingles setback. The Pacers will be in no rush to bring him back. With them bottom of the East, the playoffs remain a distant dream. So the priority will be to help him get back to good health and then focus on rehabilitation.