Indiana Pacers · Franchise era 7 of 7
From Oladipo and Sabonis to Haliburton: the Indiana Pacers story
Franchise era
2017–18—present
From Oladipo and Sabonis to Haliburton
Indiana Pacers
The story in one sentence
Indiana repeatedly converted one core into the next, with Haliburton's passing unlocking a fast, inventive offense and another Finals run.
One trade tree sustains the next era
Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Tyrese Haliburton gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2017–18
What came before
George's ascent made Indiana the Heat's most persistent Eastern rival before injury and roster turnover ended the run.
July 6, 2017
The Paul George trade tree that reached Haliburton
George had told Indiana he would not re-sign after the coming season. The Pacers had to turn a distressed star asset into a new core before losing him for nothing.
06Multi-generation trade treeJuly 6, 2017OKC⇄INDGeorge → Sabonis → HaliburtonIndiana sent Paul George to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis later became the centerpiece of the package that brought Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers.3 assets · 3 outcomes＋
The original receipt
Oklahoma City Thunder received
- • Paul George
Indiana Pacers received
- • Victor Oladipo
- • Domantas Sabonis
What looked like a modest two-player return became two All-Stars, then a second franchise reset when the Sabonis branch produced Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson.
Open full trade tree →2024
Eastern Conference Finals: Indiana Pacers vs Boston Celtics
2025
Eastern Conference Finals: Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks
2025
NBA Finals: Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core