With Tyrese Haliburton out for the 2025-26 season, the Pacers have to adjust their starting lineup. Andrew Nembhard started 65 games at SG for Indiana last year. Head coach Rick Carlisle said Nembhard will be their starting PG in 2025-26.
That leaves a vacancy at SG for Pacers, but Carlisle recently broke news via a podcast interview. Rick Carlisle was on with Caitlin Cooper of Basketball, She Wrote. He mentioned that Bennedict Mathurin will be the Pacers’ starting SG in 2025-26. Last season, Mathurin started 49 of his 72 games with Indiana.
Bennedict Mathurin will have a full-time starting role in 2025-26
In the 2022 NBA draft, the Pacers used the sixth pick to draft Bennedict Mathurin out of Arizona. Over three seasons, the 23-year-old has played in 209 games and has made 89 starts. During the first half of the 2024-25 season, Bennedict Mathurin started for the Pacers. In mid-February, head coach Rick Carlisle made a tweak to the starting lineup.
Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench for the second half of the year, and the Pacers made a surprise run to the NBA Finals. In Game 7, starting PG Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles. Haliburton is out for the entire 2025-26 season. Andrew Nembhard will take over at PG. Recently, head coach Rick Carlisle said Bennedict Mathurin will be the team’s starting SG next season.
During the 2025 playoffs, Bennedict Mathurin was a difference-maker off the bench for the Pacers. In Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Mathurin scored a playoff career-high 27 points. He was an efficient 9-12 from the field and 2-3 from beyond the arc. Mathurin did this coming off the bench. Without Tyrese Haliburton, Mathurin has the potential to be a 20+ point-per-game scorer.
Head coach Rick Carlisle praised Bennedict Mathurin’s ability as a gifted scorer. Additionally, Carlisle believes the young guard/forward can grow into a stronger passer and make better decisions on the court. Though he primarily played small forward in 2024-25, Mathurin can switch to SG. Pascal Siakam will likely lead the team in scoring next season, and Bennedict Mathurin has a strong case to be the second-highest scorer.