5 NBA teams on the rise that will surprise everyone in 2023-24

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Indiana Pacers G Tyrese Haliburton and wing Buddy Hield (Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports) /

3. Indiana Pacers

When the Indiana Pacers traded away Domantas Sabonis, it felt like the end of one avenue back toward contention. The return, however, was just the next chapter in the lineage of Pacer greats.

The Pacers revolve around guard Tyrese Haliburton. He was an All-Star for the first time last season, averaging 20.7 points and 10.4 assists per game while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. There was no question about Indiana giving him a max contract extension at the start of free agency.

Even though he’s a frequent fodder of trade rumors, Myles Turner is still in Indiana and performing at arguably the highest level of his career. While his blocks were down to a paltry 2.3 per game last season, he set personal benchmarks for points (18 per game), rebounds (7.5 per game), and field goal percentage (54.8 percent).

Benedict Mathurin came off the bench for a majority of his games but still managed to finish fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He averaged 16.7 points per game and set the Pacers rookie record for three-pointers made, though his 32.3 percentage from deep could use improvement.

There are some under-intriguing young players, like draftee Jarace Walker, Andrew Nembhard, and Jalen Smith. The franchise also made a splash in free agency by poaching Bruce Brown away from the defending champions. Brown may not move the needle in terms of title contention, but he’s the type of player that can help Indiana get over the playoff hump and surprise in 2023-24.