Tyrese Haliburton is trying to get healthy to help the Indiana Pacers win games. Haliburton would also like to be eligible for NBA awards, because he has a significant financial stake in making named to an All-NBA team.

However, Haliburton has also missed 13 games. If he misses five more games this season, Haliburton won't be eligible for NBA awards. That's something he disagrees with.

"I think it’s a stupid rule, like plenty of the guys in the league, but this is what the owners want, so as players, we gotta do our job and play in 65 games if we’re able to," Haliburton said. "So, that’s what I gotta do, take care of my body to be able to play in those games, and I think you’re seeing other players in the league kind of face the same thing. As long as the owners are happy."

Haliburton signed a maximum rookie scale extension this past offseason. That deal will kick in with the 2024-25 season and projects to start at 25% of the salary cap. That now projects to be $35.25 million for 2024-25 and $204.5 million over the five-year deal.

If Haliburton makes an All-NBA team, his deal will bump up to start at 30% of the salary cap. That projects to be $42.3 million in 2024-25 and $245.3 million over five years.

Tyrese Haliburton will likely return from his hamstring injury on Tuesday when the Indiana Pacers play the Boston Celtics.

Haliburton has missed 10 of the Pacers' past 11 games with the injury.

The Indiana Pacers are signing James Johnson to a second 10-day contract. Johnson's second 10-day deal will run until the trade deadline on February 8.

Johnson was originally signed to a rest-of-season contract in mid-December. The Pacers had to waive Johnson to complete the Pascal Siakam trade. He was then brought back on a 10-day deal.

If Indiana wants to keep Johnson following this second 10-day contract, they'll need to sign him for the remainder of this season.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is having a good week. First, Haliburton was named as an All-Star starter for the first time. Now, it looks like Haliburton is turning the corner with a hamstring strain that has bothered him for a few weeks.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle shared a positive update on his star guard's injury status ahead of Indiana's game against the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

"He's doing better. Hopefully we're getting closer to him playing. He's starting to ramp up his workouts, so we'll see where we are in the next couple of days," Carlisle said about Haliburton.

Haliburton originally strained his hamstring on January 8 against the Boston Celtics. He missed the Pacers next five games before returning for one game at the Portland Trail Blazers on January 19. Haliburton still seemed visibly hampered by the injury, and he's since missed Indiana's last four games.

The Indiana Pacers have indicated to inquiring teams that they are not interested in trading T.J. McConnell ahead of the deadline.

The Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz have been linked with McConnell. 

McConnell is under contract through the 24-25 season and is behind Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembard on the depth chart at point guard. McConnell is averaging 17 minutes per game this season.

Tyrese Haliburton will miss the next three games to manage a hamstring injury.

Haliburton will be reevaluated on Saturday.

Haliburton suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in a Jan. 8 win over the Boston Celtics. He missed the next five games before returning to action last Friday.

The Indiana Pacers reached out to the Utah Jazz about the potential availability of Lauri Markkanen before they eventually pivoted to a trade for Pascal Siakam, sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.

The Jazz showed zero interest in trading Markkanen, sources tell Lowe.

Markkanen has emerged as an All-Star since joining the Jazz and by all accounts they would need a team to grossly overpay to consider moving him.

Markkanen is signed through the 24-25 season and has expressed interest in remaining with the Jazz long-term.

The Indiana Pacers have waived James Johnson.

Johnson played sparingly in five games after signing with the Pacers in December. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski suggested the NBA's goal of dispersing talent around the league under its new collective bargaining agreement is beginning to work as evidenced by the Indiana Pacers' trade for Pascal Siakam. 

The Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers have been amongst the teams interested in trading for Siakam at various points over the past year.

"When the league put in this new salary cap and this second apron and this real limitation on the way big market teams could stockpile star players, you're starting to see how teams like Golden State or L.A., others... it's hard to have three stars in this league right now," said Adrian Wojnarowski. "The league's goal was to start spurting that talent around. That's part of the reason why Pascal Siakam lands with the Indiana Pacers."

Siakam will be a free agent this offseason and is widely expected to re-sign with the Pacers.

Wojnarowski believes the Warriors and Sixers were never seriously contenders to trade for Siakam. The Pacers had leverage in trade talks due to their possibility of having cap space this offseason and could pursue Siakam then as well.

The Indiana Pacers have agreed to acquire Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors for Bruce Brown Jr., Jordan Nwora and three first round picks. As part of the trade, the New Orleans Pelicans will send Kira Lewis to the Raptors and a second round pick to the Pacers in a luxury tax move.

The picks will be Indiana's own selection in 2024, along with the worst of the first round picks originating from either the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers or Oklahoma City Thunder. The third pick will be Indiana's own selection in 2026.

Siakam will be a free agent in 2024, but the Pacers appear to be trading for him with a realistic hope of re-signing him. Siakam can re-sign for up to $247 million over five years with the Pacers. Siakam is also eligible to sign a two-year, $81.5 million extension until June 30th.

“I’m excited that Pascal is getting a first class opportunity with the Pacers, being paired with Tyrese and Myles and being coached by a great coach in Rick Carlisle. His future their looks bright there,” Siakam’s agent Todd Ramasar told Andscape's Marc J. Spears.