Kevin Pritchard says Tyrese Haliburton is a partner with Indiana Pacers franchise, doesn't think contract extension will be complicated

Haliburton is the face of the Pacers franchise and could be for a while

The Indiana Pacers entered a new era this season, and Tyrese Haliburton made it clear very early that this era should be a successful one.

The 23-year old was named an NBA All-Star for the first time of his career, and he set multiple franchise records. The Pacers were a .500 team in games that Haliburton played, and their net rating was much better with him on the court than off. He set the team's identity and enhanced its culture. Haliburton's fingerprints were on every part of Indiana's successful season.

"We have this amazing quarterback point guard," Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said of Haliburton earlier this week. He beamed about his franchise talent numerous times during his nearly 45-minute media availability.

Haliburton finished his first full season in Indiana averaging 20.7 points and 10.4 assists per game. He made more than 40% of his three-point shots and was the engine for much of the team's offense. The Pacers had a 118.8 offensive rating with Haliburton on the court, which would be a top-five offense in the NBA.

Many of the next steps for the blue and gold involve finding a way to enhance Haliburton's powers. They need to add or develop some talent that can keep the team afloat when he's getting a breather or is out entirely, but building around Haliburton should be the plan for the Pacers.

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That's why the franchise views him as a partner, as opposed to a piece, when it comes to their build. He will be involved in big decisions in the future.

"There's not many major decisions that I'll be looking at that he won't be a part of," Pritchard said. The President noted that he wants to be careful about the pressure involved with said thinking, and that he wants to have the final say on decisions as a result. It wouldn't be fair to Haliburton to pin choices on him.

But he will be heavily involved going forward. He's a partner now, and he will help lead the franchise forward. "When Rick [Carlisle] said that he was a partner, it was me, Rick (Pacers head coach), Lloyd (Pierce, Pacers assistant coach), Chad (Buchanan, Pacers General Manager), and Tyrese. And we all said, 'This is the partnership. This is the group that's going to be making and looking at things'. I saw his eyes kind of beam."

Pritchard said that Haliburton knows his stuff in terms of personnel and players around the league. There will be trust in the partnership, and the lead decision maker and point guard see eye-to-eye on most basketball topics.

Haliburton is one of the best in the business at connecting with others. He was known as a locker room leader this season despite being young, and he was critical in helping his team bond off the court. Pritchard was impressed with that ability to relate with anyone.

That's a helpful skill in team building. Haliburton, according to a report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, was a part of the Pacers free agency pitch to center Deandre Ayton last offseason. Ayton signed a max offer sheet with Indiana before it was ultimately matched by the Phoenix Suns, but Haliburton showcased that he may have recruiting talent early on.

Pritchard plans on using that as an asset. "Talking to Ty, I think he's a good recruiter," he said Tuesday. Earlier, he explained what that looks like.

"Players are coming to us like 'man, I'd like to play with that guy'," Pritchard detailed. "People like to play with guys that can get them the ball at the right time and makes the right play. We're going to use that to our advantage."

With Haliburton running the show, multiple Pacers players — including Buddy Hield, Myles Turner, Aaron Nesmith, and Jordan Nwora (after being traded to Indiana) — had career years. Others around the league taking notice of that will be a boon for the Pacers in free agency going forward.

Indiana should be an active team on the market. They will have a lot of cap space this summer. But the biggest contract negotiation the Pacers will have this offseason is actually with Haliburton, who becomes eligible for a rookie extension on July 1.

It isn't clear how the rookie extension rules will change under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, but the bottom line is simple: the Pacers should be willing to give Haliburton a max contract for as many years as possible. He's that good, and if he's a partner with the franchise, he should be paid like one.

Pritchard spoke like someone who recognizes that. "Ty is our guy. We want Ty here for as long as he wants to be here," he said this week. "I don't think that's going to be too complicated," he added before noting he's thought that before in situations where it didn't end up being the case.

The goal for the blue and gold should be to have Haliburton on the longest deal possible with no player options. If the 23-year old All-Star would agree to such a deal, negotiations should be quick and easy.

"Ty is going to be here a long time," Pritchard said. "[We're] looking forward to having him for the next a lot of years."

The Indiana Pacers expect to be better, perhaps much better, in short order. The talents of Tyrese Haliburton are a significant factor in those expectations. The franchise and player are moving forward together as partners, and come July, that partnership could be linked together for many seasons to come. That's the goal, at least.

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