Pacers GM: Haliburton fully cleared for new season

Chad Buchanan says Tyrese Haliburton has no restrictions heading into the new season, ten months after the Pacers guard ruptured his Achilles.

"Tyrese is fully ready to work and to play. We are relying on our medical staff if there is a need to manage his load, but at this stage no restrictions are planned for him," the Indiana general manager said.

Haliburton, 26, missed the entirety of last season after the injury, which he suffered in the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City. Indiana reached that series as the Eastern Conference's third seed, with Haliburton having averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists over the campaign.

Buchanan set out how he wants the reworked roster judged. "As for the updated roster, hopefully after 25-30 games we will start to see signs of whether this team's game is working or not. We will be patient. No hasty conclusions. If we start slowly and results are poor after ten games, that approach to judging the team would simply be unreasonable," he said.

The comments point to a front office prepared to give a rebuilt side, and its returning captain, time before drawing any verdict on the season.