NBA Notes: Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton, Jazz, Walker Kessler, Kings

Pacers

The Pacers may have finished with just 19 wins, but internally, there’s reason for optimism.

Indiana spent much of the season without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the year after suffering an Achilles injury during the 2025 NBA Finals. ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted the season essentially became a “gap year” for a team that had recently reached the Finals.

Now, the focus shifts to getting healthy and figuring out how newly acquired center Ivica Zubac fits alongside Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Indiana’s offense took a major step backward this season, falling from ninth to 27th in efficiency while cycling through 47 different starting lineups.

If Haliburton returns at full strength, the Pacers could look a lot more like contenders than a lottery team.

Jazz

The rebuild in Utah may finally be nearing its end.

The acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. signaled a clear shift in direction, and the Jazz now appear focused on building around a core that includes Jackson, Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Keyonte George and last year’s No. 5 overall pick, Ace Bailey.

The No. 2 overall pick in this month’s draft should add another major piece.

One of the biggest priorities this summer will be a new contract for Kessler, who is headed toward restricted free agency. Utah also remains high on George after a breakout campaign that saw him emerge as one of the league’s most improved young guards.

The talent is there. Now comes the challenge of learning how to win.

Kings

The Kings believe injuries played a major role in their disappointing 22-win season.

Keegan Murray, Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and De’Andre Hunter all dealt with significant health issues, and Sacramento used 34 different starting lineups throughout the year.

Still, general manager Scott Perry has acknowledged the roster needs to get younger.

Sacramento owns the seventh overall pick in this month’s draft and views it as a critical opportunity to add a foundational piece. The Kings finished as one of the league’s oldest teams and currently have only a handful of players on rookie-scale contracts.

The organization also faces several financial decisions, including what to do with DeMar DeRozan‘s partially guaranteed contract and whether to explore changes around a veteran core led by Sabonis, LaVine and Malik Monk.

One thing that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon is the coaching staff.

Scott Perry indicated he fully expects Doug Christie to remain in charge as Sacramento looks to regroup and move forward.