# SO SAD: Pacers Granted Disabled Player Exception for Tyrese Haliburton — Here’s What That Means

 

The NBA world received sobering news this week: the Indiana Pacers have officially been granted a **Disabled Player Exception (DPE)** for All-Star point guard **Tyrese Haliburton**, who suffered a devastating injury during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. This ruling confirms what many feared — Haliburton is expected to **miss the entire 2025–26 season**, and the Pacers must now figure out how to regroup without their franchise cornerstone.

It’s a gut punch for a team that just made its first NBA Finals appearance in over two decades and was building real momentum with one of the league’s most dynamic young stars.

 

Let’s unpack what the DPE means, how it works, and how the Pacers move forward from here.

 

## 💔 The Injury That Changed Everything

 

On the biggest stage of his career, Haliburton tore his **right Achilles tendon** just minutes into Game 7 of the 2025 Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury occurred on a routine drive — no contact, just a sudden pull-up and collapse. The sight of him being **wheeled off in a wheelchair** silenced the crowd, and left teammates visibly shaken.

 

Despite the emotional high of a Cinderella playoff run, the Pacers couldn’t recover from the loss of their floor general, and ultimately fell short in the Finals. Days later, team officials confirmed the worst: Haliburton underwent surgery and is expected to be out for the entire upcoming season.

 

## 🏥 What Is a Disabled Player Exception?

 

The **Disabled Player Exception** is a special salary cap tool that allows a team to add a replacement player when someone on the roster suffers a **season-ending injury**. It’s not a get-out-of-jail-free card, but rather a limited-use tool designed to help teams stay competitive.

 

### Here’s how the DPE works:

 

* The NBA grants it **only after a league-appointed physician confirms** the injured player is “substantially more likely than not” to miss the entire season.

* The exception allows the team to:

 

* Sign one free agent to a **one-year deal**,

* Trade for a player in the **final year of their contract**, or

* Claim a player off waivers (also in the final year of their deal).

* The contract amount is capped at **50% of the injured player’s salary** or the **Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (MLE)** — whichever is less.

* It must be used by **March 10** of that season.

 

In Haliburton’s case, that means Indiana gets roughly **\$17 million** in extra cap flexibility, though they still need an available roster spot to use it.

 

## 🧩 What This Means for the Pacers

 

The DPE is a helpful but bittersweet consolation. Here’s how it might affect the Pacers moving forward:

 

### 1. **Roster Needs a Plug-and-Play Guard**

 

With Haliburton out, the Pacers are missing their primary playmaker, best passer, and emotional leader. He averaged **20+ points and 10 assists per game**, helping pace one of the fastest and most efficient offenses in the league.

 

While they have capable backups in **Andrew Nembhard** and **T.J. McConnell**, neither can replicate Haliburton’s blend of shooting, vision, and tempo control. The DPE gives the team a chance to find a **veteran ball-handler** or scorer who can take pressure off the younger core.

 

Expect the Pacers to monitor the **trade and waiver markets** for players on expiring deals — ideally guards who can handle the ball, space the floor, and contribute right away

### 2. **The Clock Is Ticking**

 

The DPE comes with an expiration date. If the Pacers don’t use it by **March 10**, it disappears. This forces the front office to assess their season trajectory quickly:

 

* If they’re in the playoff race, they might aggressively pursue help using the exception.

* If they’re fading, they may opt to **save money** and focus on developing young players.

 

It’s also important to note that they **cannot split the DPE across multiple players** — it must be used on **a single acquisition**.

 

Adding a player via the DPE would increase the team’s payroll — potentially pushing them into the **luxury tax** for the first time in years. That’s a big financial consideration, especially for a small-market team like Indiana.

 

However, sources suggest that the team is **open to paying the tax** if it means staying competitive while Haliburton rehabs. After coming so close to a title, the organization doesn’t want to take a step backward.

### 4. **Morale and Leadership Gap**

 

There’s no sugarcoating this: losing Haliburton for a full season is **an emotional blow** to this locker room. He’s not just the team’s best player — he’s its personality, heartbeat, and most vocal leader. His infectious energy, unselfish play, and community involvement have made him the face of the franchise.

 

The team will need players like **Bennedict Mathurin**, **Aaron Nesmith**, and **Myles Turner** to step up in leadership roles. Coach Rick Carlisle will also play a crucial role in keeping the group focused and united.

 

## 📊 Historical Context: Have Teams Benefited from the DPE?

 

Yes — but results vary. The DPE isn’t a miracle fix. Teams who’ve used it successfully often grab a reliable veteran who can patch holes — think **Goran Dragić**, **Jeff Green**, or **Avery Bradley** in past years.

 

But many teams never use their DPE at all, especially if they’re already deep into the tax or out of playoff contention.

 

For Indiana, the DPE is a tool to **maintain playoff hopes** and give fans a reason to stay engaged — even if their superstar is sidelined.

 

The Pacers must decide who to waive or trade to open a spot for a potential DPE acquisition. They currently have 15 players under contract.

 

### 🔍 Step 2: Scouting the Market

 

GM Chad Buchanan and the front office will be monitoring:

 

* Free agents still on the market,

* Veterans on expiring contracts available via trade,

* Potential buyout candidates around the deadline.

 

### 📆 Step 3: Strategic Timing

 

Do they act now to stabilize the rotation early? Or wait until February to see how the season unfolds and use the DPE for a **playoff push**?

## 🧠 The Big Picture: A Cautionary, Sad Chapter

 

This DPE doesn’t just mark a cap exception — it’s a reminder of how fragile success can be in professional sports.

 

One moment, Tyrese Haliburton was orchestrating the most thrilling Pacers run in two decades. The next, he’s facing **12+ months of rehab** and a long road back from one of basketball’s most dreaded injuries.

 

For Indiana, the 2025–26 season will now be about **resilience**, **resourcefulness**, and keeping their long-term vision intact while honoring the fight that got them to the Finals in the first place.

There’s no replacing Tyrese Haliburton. But with smart use of the DPE, leadership from within, and some good fortune, the Pacers can still make this season meaningful — not just as a detour, but as another chapter in a longer, brighter journey.

 

Pacers fans will be hoping that this isn’t the end of a dream — just a p

ainful pause in what’s still a rising story.

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