Tyrese Haliburton's broken trust is the injury Pacers won't recover from

The surprising NBA Finals run by the Indiana Pacers seemed to change everything for the franchise. It established this roster, as currently constructed, as a legit contender and one worth continuing to invest in. It demonstrated the power of chemistry, effort, execution and vibes — the idea that 12 guys can be much more than the sum of their parts if they trust in each other.

Throughout the Finals, there were rumblings that the Pacers' ownership would be willing to pay to keep free agent center Myles Turner, to make sure that this group got more than one bite at the apple. Just a few weeks after the NBA Finals ended, all that good will is gone.

Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 and will likely miss most or all of next season. And now the team has used that as justification to play hard ball with Turner's contract negotiations, setting the stage for him to sign with the rival Milwaukee Bucks.

Pacers ownership has drawn a line in the sand for building a championship roster

Haliburton played in Game 7 despite a calf strain that limited him in Game 6 and a known risk of re-injury. As teammate James Johnson made clear, per The Athletic, he wouldn't miss an opportunity to help his team, no matter what it cost:

“The pain he puts in every day, every night, I don’t think there’s (anybody) else in the world that wanted it more than he did. I’ve been on plenty of teams, and I’ve seen guys sidelined because of that same injury, and he wouldn’t let that stop him from helping us.”

In a message on Twitter after surgery, Haliburton made clear that despite how things turned out he would absolutely make the same decision again to, "to fight for this city and my brothers. For the chance to do something special."

This man literally put his body and his career on the line for his team. And he was rewarded for his sacrifice by an ownership group that wasn't willing to dip into the luxury tax to keep a key piece. And while Turner is not the best player or even the second-best player on the roster, he's arguably one of the most indispensable. There are only a handful of players in the league who can protect the rim and stretch the floor out to the 3-point line the way he does. In many ways, his skill set is as important to the Pacers style of player as anyone else on the roster besides Haliburton.

Turner is also a symbol. He was the longest-tenured player on the roster, having been with the team for a full decade. He was also treated terribly by the organization for a good chunk of that tenure, repeatedly dangled in trade rumors and publicly embarrassed when the team signed Deandre Ayton to a massive offer sheet in 2022, trying to replace him. The Suns matched that offer sheet and all Turner did was come back, shake off the insult and play some of the best basketball of his career to help this team evolve into a contender.

If you're Tyrese Haliburton, how do you motivate yourself to push through rehab knowing that this organization doesn't share your level of commitment. That all the work you just put in can be erased to save money. That what felt like a band of brothers building a collective legacy is actually just a business, and a frugal one at that.

Tyrese Haliburton will recover and, hopefully, it will take about a year for him to get back to himself. It might take this organization much longer to recover from this Turner decision.