Pacers GM won't comment on possible extensions for Pascal Siakam, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard

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Pacers GM won't comment on possible extensions for Pascal Siakam, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard

Pacers GM won't comment on possible extensions for Pascal Siakam, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard

Zion Brown, Indianapolis Star · Indianapolis Star

Thu, Sep 24, 2026 ·

4 min read

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INDIANAPOLIS – Ahead of the 2026-27 season, much of the Pacers ' core is eligible for a contract extension.

The Pacers are coming off a 19-63 campaign that was the worst in team history. After a year where the team suffered a myriad of injuries – spearheaded by Tyrese Haliburton 's Achilles tear in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals – the Pacers expect to contend again this year with a core the front office has been committed to over multiple years.

Now, the Pacers can extend the contracts of Pascal Siakam , Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard , Ivica Zubac , Obi Toppin , Jay Huff , Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard . Most of those players have multiple years left on their current deals, with Walker and Sheppard – who are entering the last year of their rookie contracts – being the only two up for free agency in 2027.

At the team's Pacers Foundation Invitational at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course, general manager Chad Buchanan said, "We'll keep that to ourselves on that one," regarding the team's extension situations.

"I'd just prefer not to talk about the business part out of respect to the guys and their agents, but we value all of our guys," Buchanan said. "They're here for a reason; we like them. But I'd like to keep those confidential for now."

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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton walks into the room to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) plays basketball with Chloe Creger, 7, (left) and Jackson Sutton, 6, during Haliburton’s visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Max Gray, 15, (left) talks with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton as Haliburton visits to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (left) shows off his shoes to the group as he visits to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (right) colors Pacers’ jerseys with his wife Jade Haliburton during their visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Jade Haliburton (right) plays tic tac toe with Chloe Creger, 7, during her visit with her husband Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton as they visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (center) colors Pacers’ jerseys with Max Gray, 15, (left) and Kayson McPhearson, 11, during his visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (left) plays tic tac toe with Chloe Creger, 7, (center) as his his wife Jade Haliburton (right) watches during their visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Chloe Creger, 7, hugs a stuffed animal Boomer, the Indiana Pacers mascot, during Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton’s visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton takes a photo as he visits to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Jade Haliburton (back) watches as her husband Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton speaks on video with a kid who was unable to attend during their visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton signs a jersey during his visit meeting kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (left) plays basketball with Chloe Creger, 7, (center) and Jackson Sutton, 6, during Haliburton’s visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Tyrese Haliburton shows off his jersey design during his visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Tyrese Haliburton (left) and wife Jade Haliburton pose for a photo during their visit to meet kids who received kidney transplants Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.
(Christine Tannous/IndyStar)

Siakam's in line to sign a second extension with the team after a four-year, $188.95 million extension in July 2024, following the Pacers trading for him from the Toronto Raptors in January of that year. Since July 6, Siakam – who has made two of his four All-Star appearances with the Pacers – has been eligible to sign a three-year extension worth up to $207 million.

If Siakam were to receive that max extension, he'd be tied down through 2031. The Cameroonian is 32 and would be 37 by the time the extension ended. The Pacers haven't shown their cards on whether they plan to extend Siakam before next offseason, and if he'll receive the max contract length or salary if he is extended soon.

While a Siakam extension can be agreed upon whenever, the Pacers have until the NBA deadline of Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. to agree to rookie-scale extensions with Walker and Sheppard. As multiple 2023 draft picks from around the league have begun signing their second contracts, the Pacers have yet to re-sign Walker – who was the eighth pick of that draft – or Sheppard – who was the 26thpick.

Both players had their best years as pros in 2025-26, mainly because the Pacers needed someone to replace the production they lost in an injury-riddled season. Walker averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 76 games while Sheppard averaged 7.1 points per game. On Thursday, Buchanan outlined what he needs from Walker this year in a reduced role.

"His role will be a little different this year than it was last year," Buchanan said. "And the more simplified he can keep his game, the more he can focus on helping us do the little things. … We don't need a lot of playmaking necessarily from him like maybe we did last year, and I think part of his maturity and growth as a player is understanding what the team needs from him. We've got to see him do it and he's got to do it night-to-night."

Walker and Sheppard project to be important bench pieces for the Pacers, and the team may wait to decide on their futures based on how they contribute throughout the year. If it seems unlikely that the Pacers extend either player next summer, they could be dealt elsewhere midseason, like Bennedict Mathurin was in the Ivica Zubac trade in February.

The Pacers' front office has remained tight-lipped about its extension decisions and whether the team will agree to any new deals before the regular season begins on Oct. 21. The upcoming weeks could see the Pacers secure more of their core or stand pat as their leadership decides who it values and what to prioritize next.

Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter .

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers GM won't comment on possible extensions for Pascal Siakam, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard

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Pacers GM won't comment on possible extensions for Pascal Siakam, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard

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