NBA Insider Reveals: Haliburton's Secret Plan to Transform the Pacers into a Superteam!

The recent Indiana Pacers rebuild seems to be sky rocketing far ahead of schedule, largely thanks to the emergence of Tyrese Haliburton as a superstar. Now, an NBA insider has disclosed a recent conversation with the All-Star, uncovering his secret recruitment attempt to attract more stars to Indiana.

Haliburton's Superstardom

After earning his first All-Star appearance last season, Haliburton has shown even more improvement this year, marking his 5th NBA season and solidifying his status as a superstar in the league. At 23 years old, he's achieving career highs in both points and assists, averaging 26.3 points per game and leading the league with 12.3 assists per game.

His recent form has been nothing short of spectacular, especially during the first-ever NBA in-season tournament. He led the Pacers to the Final in Vegas, showcasing his value as the most impactful player in the Eastern Conference. This is mighty high praise considering the stacked talent, including the likes of Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the reigning MVP Joel Embiid.

NBA In-Season Tournament team of the year!!
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.#NBA #inseasontournament #giannisantetokounmpo #Milwaukee #FearTheDeer #LakersMoment #LakeShow #Lakers #Suns #kevindurant35 #tyresehaliburton pic.twitter.com/1haqudZNB5— FirstSportz NBA (@FS_NBA1) December 12, 2023

Haliburton Recruiting

With an abundance of talent flooding into the highly exclusive NBA, it's nearly impossible for a team to win solely relying on a single superstar. Observing the landscape among the 30 franchises, when you see superstar pairings like LeBron and AD or Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard, you realize the immense challenge it poses to compete. Despite his youth, Haliburton appears keenly aware of this dynamic, revealing to an NBA insider his secret intentions to actively recruit more stars to join him in Indiana.

Following his impressive semi-finals victory over the Bucks, where he finished with 27 points and 15 assists, Haliburton spoke with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. He shared that his impact in facilitating for his teammates stems from his endeavor to prove a point to other stars: that he's a great teammate and playing alongside him would be to their advantage.



Haliburton is clearly prioritizing action over words in his recent recruitment attempts, recording at least 15 assists in six games so far this season. His efforts have also propelled the Pacers to 5th place in the Eastern Conference, boasting a 13-8 record thus far.

Pacers Trade Targets

Wojnarowski also revealed potential targets for the Pacers at this moment. He cited that Pacers president Kevin Pritchard was unsure until recently whether Haliburton could be the best player on the team. However after recent performances these doubts are no longer. In fact Wojnarowski has instead highlighted the Pacers need for a big wing player who can excel on both ends of the court.


Fortunately, at the moment, there's a team that possesses two players fitting this description and reportedly, they are open to trades. The Raptors have been consistently featured in trade rumors this season, primarily involving two significant names: two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam and 3-and-D specialist OG Anunoby. Both players would be excellent additions to the Pacers' squad. However, considering their franchise star is still in his early 20s, there's no rush for them to make any trades in the near future.

Credits
Indy Star