Indiana's $203.7M payroll sits past the $200.4M tax line and below the $209.0M first apron. Two max-level salaries, a forfeited 2029 first-rounder and a thin 2027-28 sheet leave almost no flexibility.
Where the payroll sits
The Pacers are at $203.7M, above the $200.4M tax line. The first apron is $209.0M and the second is $221.7M, with the cap itself at $165.0M. Indiana is nowhere near the cap, so it has no room to absorb salary. It is also close enough to the aprons that any trade that adds money has to be weighed against those lines.
Two stars, then a steep drop
Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton each make $48.9M this season, and each rises to $52.3M in 2027-28. After them the scale falls hard: Ivica Zubac at $20.3M, Andrew Nembhard at $19.6M and Obi Toppin at $15.0M. Zubac is out with an ankle injury, with an estimated return of October 28, so the third-largest salary is on the bench for now. Nesmith climbs from $11.0M to $19.4M next season, and McConnell goes from $11.0M to $11.8M. Both are on the list of contracts to watch.
Picks and next year's sheet
The picks tell the same story. Indiana owns its 2027, 2028 and 2030 firsts but forfeited its 2029 first. Every second-rounder through 2030 is a swap, not an outright pick. On the 2027-28 sheet, Furphy's $2.5M is a team option, the only one listed. Walker, Sheppard and Nance do not appear in that column at all. Little money comes off the books, so the core carries forward almost intact. Flexibility here means choosing which of the mid-sized deals to move, not clearing space.
Are the Pacers over the luxury tax?
Yes. Their $203.7M payroll is above the $200.4M tax line, though still under the $209.0M first apron.
How much do Siakam and Haliburton make?
Each makes $48.9M this season and $52.3M in 2027-28. Together they are by far the largest commitments on the Pacers' books.
