INDIANA – The Indiana Pacers face an unusual test this season. Tyrese Haliburton’s untimely Achilles tear ruined Indiana’s title dreams just short of glory. It also left them without their floor general for a whole year. But the league gives teams a fallback plan. That fallback is the disabled player exception, a small lifeline for teams in crisis. The DPE is simple. It lets the Pacers add one player on a one-year deal or trade for an expiring contract. Tyrese’s big contract gives the Pacers power to use the exception on any trade target making $14.1 million or less. If they don’t use it by March 10, it vanishes forever. This is pure “use it or lose it.” The Pacers know they can’t waste it.
Three Targets The Pacers Could Trade For With Haliburton Exception
Standing Pat, But Not Passive
Indiana let Myles Turner walk to the Bucks. They replaced him with Jay Huff but stayed mostly quiet. This silence is by design. GM Chad Buchanan told Setting the Pace exactly why they’re patient.
“We’re always going to be, if there’s an opportunity out there to help our team, we’re not going to turn our nose to that. And we have some tools to do that. We’re still below the luxury tax. We have exceptions that we can use as well.”
Buchanan doubled down on how the Pacers plan to use the exception on a trade target:
“We’re going to be scouring the market for a player that makes sense, for a player that can help us, you know people say this is a gap year for the Pacers. We don’t view it that way.”
The message is clear. If the exception presents an opportunity to strengthen the team, the front office will strike.
Three Names On The Board
They already have 15 rostered players. But James Wiseman’s contract isn’t guaranteed past January 10. He’s an easy cut if the Pacers see an upgrade. Three trade targets stand out.
KJ Martin — Utah Jazz ($8M Left)
KJ Martin is just 24 but has a motor and elite athleticism. He averaged 6.3 points with the 76ers, but his lineups were huge positives. His lineups scored +9.2 more points per 100 possessions than his opponents — good for the 93rd percentile. Martin’s defensive tools and upside fit the Pacers’ DNA. He’d be a classic Pacers trade success story — low risk, high upside.
Kelly Olynyk — San Antonio Spurs ($13.4M Left)
Kelly Olynyk is the ultimate glue guy. A passing big who spaces the floor, hits 37% from deep (career-average), and keeps offenses humming. He ranked sixth among bigs in passes. He also delivered a monster 13 more points per 100 possessions in New Orleans lineups. Carlisle could use Olynyk as a floor-spacing center behind Huff — or next to him. The exception covers this trade targets’ deal neatly. The Pacers are noticeably inexperienced at the five. Olynyk provides veteran leadership.
Gabe Vincent — Los Angeles Lakers ($11.1M Left)
Gabe Vincent feels like the classic buy-low gamble. He hasn’t found his Heat Finals form with the Lakers. But in Miami, he shot 37.8% from deep on big volume in huge playoff moments. He’d slot perfectly next to TJ McConnell. If the Lakers shuffle the deck, Vincent could be available in a three-team deal. Vincent gives the Pacers an opportunity to get a bargain back-up point guard that can play meaningful minutes in the playoffs.
One Shot, No Regrets
The Pacers aren’t desperate. They’re patient. They’ll wait until the perfect piece surfaces. But they’ll pounce when it does. Haliburton’s loss hurt — but the Pacers have gotten an exception that helps them push forward without wasting the year.
They’ve earned trust. If they swing big, they’ll swing smart.
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