Indiana Pacers Season Review

2024–25 Record: 47–35

Season Highlight

After what felt like years of bold predictions and memes, Yeet’s Indiana Pacers finally arrived in 2025. For the first time under his erratic yet endearing stewardship, the Pacers looked like a legitimate playoff threat. Behind the towering brilliance of Victor Wembanyama, Indiana stormed into relevance — until the basketball gods intervened. A blood clot diagnosis abruptly ended Wemby’s season and seemed destined to derail Indiana’s playoff dreams.

Yet, somehow, the show went on. Yeet shuffled his deck like a Vegas pro, made the tough calls, and cobbled together a scrappy, dangerous unit that clawed its way to the 7th seed in the East. After a stumble in the Play-In against the Toronto Raptors, the Pacers regrouped for a winner-takes-all matchup with Miami. With the season — and Yeet’s credibility — on the line, Indiana punched their ticket to the postseason for the first time in the Yeet era.

It wasn’t just a playoff berth. It was a statement: Indiana is done waiting for the future. The future is here.

 

Season Lowlight

Wemby’s blood clot diagnosis was the gut punch of the year — but what followed sent the entire NSL into meltdown. Instead of waiting for his generational superstar to recover, Yeet did the unthinkable: he traded him.

In a stunning move that lit up group chats across the league, the Lakers swooped in with a massive offer: Chet Holmgren, Cade Cunningham, Walker Kessler, and a haul of assets for the French phenom. Somehow, Yeet also landed Darius Garland as part of the chaos, reshaping Indiana’s direction overnight.

Was it insanity or genius? The jury’s still out.
Trading a player who might go down as one of the greatest ever is almost sacrilegious — but when the return nets you four legitimate cornerstone talents, it’s hard to call it reckless. Yeet bet on depth, flexibility, and youth over singular greatness. It might just work… if he can stay awake long enough to manage free agency properly this time.

 

Trading

Yeet is a walking trade machine — part mad scientist, part used-car salesman, part visionary. His name floods trade notifications more than anyone else in the NSL, and while not every deal hits, no one can deny the entertainment value.

He brings it on himself, of course. The chaos, the overthinking, the press conferences where he declares “the league is on notice” — it’s all part of the Yeet experience. But buried beneath the memes and missteps is a GM who’s actually quite sharp when the dust settles.

Best Trade

Pacers send:
Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Norman Powell, Isaac Okoro, Jusuf Nurkic, Terry Rozier, Dalen Terry

Pacers receive:
Darius Garland, Cade Cunningham, Chet Holmgren, Walker Kessler, Jordan Goodwin, NY 2026 2nd

It’s the kind of deal that defines an era — and maybe a career. Trading Wemby was a league-altering decision, and while it might haunt him forever if Victor ascends into GOAT territory, it also positioned Indiana with one of the most promising young cores in basketball. The move gave Yeet options — something every GM dreams of when building sustainable success.

Worst Trade

If there’s one constant in Yeet’s career, it’s his oddly intimate trading relationship with Portland’s front office. It’s like watching two people repeatedly walk into the same door.

Over the years, the Pacers have trickled away draft capital and leverage through an endless string of minor “value” swaps that never quite add up in Indiana’s favour.
Examples include:

• Indiana receive: Picks 57, 60, CLE 2028 2nd
  Indiana send: Pick 54, CLE 2027 2nd
• Indiana receive: Barnes, Risacher, Ingram, pick 43, pick 58, IND 2026 1st, IND 2028 1st, MIL 2027 2nd, OKC 2028 2nd
  Indiana send: Nesmith, Keegan Murray, pick 17, IND 2027 1st, IND 2029 1st
• Indiana receive: Nick Smith Jr., POR 2027 1st, IND 2029 1st, four seconds
  Indiana send: Craig Porter Jr., MIN 2026 1st, IND 2028 1st, IND 2030 1st

Yeet seems to love a good Portland tango — but the dance often ends with Indiana missing a shoe... and his underwear.

 

Other Notable Trades

Pacers send: Pascal Siakam, Goga Bitadze, Max Strus, 2026 IND 1st
Pacers receive: Mikal Bridges, Norman Powell, Brook Lopez, Jett Howard, 2026 MIN 1st, 2nd-round pick

This was one of Yeet’s more balanced moves. Bridges brought elite two-way play and a team-friendly deal, Lopez filled a veteran void, and Powell thrived in his return stint. Siakam may have been the best single player in the trade, but the Pacers got deeper, smarter, and more versatile — a win by any reasonable metric.

 

Free Agency

This offseason will be a defining one for Indiana. Armed with the full MLE and no key free agents to retain, Yeet has a golden opportunity to polish his young core with savvy veteran additions.

Of course, there’s one major caveat: he actually has to be awake this time. After the now-infamous “Free Agency Sleep-In,” the league waits eagerly to see if Yeet can stay sober and conscious long enough to secure a deal.

Potential MLE targets include:

• Bobby Portis (PF/C): The ideal bruiser to pair with Chet — if Yeet can pry him away.
• Dorian Finney-Smith (SF/PF): A defensive Swiss-Army knife with playoff experience.
• Al Horford (PF/C): A locker-room sage who could mentor the young core and hold Chet accountable.
• Jaxson Hayes (PF/C): Athletic, energetic, and still young enough to fit the team’s timeline.

With a few solid role-player signings, Indiana could easily enter next season as a top-4 seed threat. All eyes are on Yeet’s alarm clock.

 

Star

Victor Wembanyama

Even in just 49 games, Wemby transformed the Pacers. Averaging 24 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2.7 blocks, he was a nightly spectacle and the main reason Indiana broke their playoff drought. His ability to dominate both ends made him not just the face of the Pacers — but the face of the entire league.

Had he stayed healthy, Indiana might’ve made real postseason noise. The only thing scarier than Wemby’s length is what the Pacers could’ve been with him fully fit.

 

Flop

Indiana’s Medical Team

You can’t make the playoffs if your best player’s body says no. Indiana’s medical staff fumbled the biggest season in franchise history, unable to get Wemby right for the postseason. Now, with Darius Garland already slated to begin next season on the sidelines, questions loom large over their competence. Expect Yeet to invest heavily in this department — or at least start handing out vitamin D tablets at training.

 

The Future

For all the chaos, Yeet has built something real. The Pacers are young, hungry, and finally balanced across positions. With a versatile mix of scoring, defense, and playmaking, Indiana has one of the most intriguing cores in the East.

The main challenge? Fit. Playing Chet Holmgren and Walker Kessler together isn’t realistic, which caps their two-big potential — but as individual pieces, both are high-end defenders and efficient finishers. Garland and Cade form a backcourt capable of matching anyone when healthy, while Bridges gives the team a defensive anchor on the wing.

If Yeet nails free agency and avoids another late-night trading spree with Portland, this team could be a top-four seed and a genuine threat by season’s end.

Projected Lineup:
C: Chet Holmgren / Walker Kessler
PF: Rui Hachimura
SF: Mikal Bridges / Zaccharie Risacher
SG: Cade Cunningham
PG: Darius Garland

 

Good luck to Yeet, the Pacers faithful, and the new arrivals who have some mighty big shoes to fill. The future’s bright in Indiana — provided the GM’s awake to see it.