Tyrese Haliburton celebrates $260 million max deal with Indiana Pacers by tweeting the Million Dollar Man
Tyrese Haliburton continued his rise as one of the most hilarious NBA players on Twitter after landing a lucrative rookie-scale extension of up to $260 million. Haliburton tweeted former WWE star Ted DiBiase a.k.a, the "Million Dollar Man's" compilation of the famous laugh he delivered before or after a monolog. Here's the clip:
https://t.co/WVKxsgQxRZ
Haliburton was widely expected to secure the max rookie scale extension after a remarkable 2022-23 NBA season. He thrived as the leading player on the Indiana Pacers, averaging 20.7 points and 10.4 rebounds, shooting on 49/40/87 splits. He made his debut All-Star appearance.
It's the biggest deal the Pacers have offered anyone in their franchise history. Indiana views him as one of their centerpieces and aims to build a contender around him. Haliburton delivered a promising first season in that role. With the right pieces around him, the expectation is that the Pacers could return to the playoff mix soon.
Tyrese Haliburton 🔥💰 https://t.co/OKzYweCJkB
A weaker Eastern Conference could give Tyrese Haliburton a chance to lead the Pacers back to playoffs
The Eastern Conference is top-heavy again, and it's wide open for lottery teams from last year to have a crack at making the playoffs. The Indiana Pacers are among those teams who have a legitimate shot at it. Tyrese Haliburton is coming off an All-Star season and will only get better.
Meanwhile, they have managed to keep coveted targets Buddy Hield and Myles Turner on the team while adding veteran free agent Bruce Brown Jr. in free agency. Brown was regarded as a piece suited to join a contender, and the Pacers making the splurge to sign him only a $22.5 million sum annually indicates their intentions of pursuing a postseason berth.
The Pacers made a promising 10-6 start last season before they hit a slump and presumably tanked, hoping to land the No. 1 pick and draft Victor Wembanyama. They have a roster worthy of making a playoff push, barring any injuries.
They have a great combination of experience and youth, with younger players like Benedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, Andrew Nembhard, Jordan Nwora and Aaron Naesmith in the lineup. Tyrese Haliburton and Co. could land up in the play-in bracket next season.
The Pacers were 28-28 with Haliburton on the floor last year, so that's a realistic result for them. He also helped Buddy Hield and Myles Turner have one of their best NBA seasons while running point as the lead guard.