Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confirmed this week that star point guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 season after he tore his Achilles tendon during the NBA Finals.
It’s a devastating on-court blow for the Eastern Conference champs, who must also adjust to the departure of free agent center Myles Turner. One consolation: Insurance will cover up to $18.2 million of Haliburton’s $45.6 million guaranteed salary for 2025-26.
The NBA oversees a temporary total disability (TTD) insurance program for the benefit of individual teams. Each club insures a minimum of four of its highest-paid players, as defined by either the current season salary or total remaining salary. Teams have the option to insure additional players.
The policy pays out after players miss 41 consecutive regular-season games, which can span two seasons. The benefit is either 50% or 80% of the player’s salary, depending on the “tier” of coverage selected by the team—the higher tier requires a higher annual premium. Last season, the max payout was roughly $492,000 per game. The $18.2 million potential benefit for the Pacers for Haliburton is based on the higher tier, which pays 80%. Teams are responsible for the balance of the salary.
Prior versions of the NBA’s TTD program covered five players on each club, and the maximum payout was $175,000 per game, and then raised to $275,000 per game as salaries climbed.
All-NBA star Jayson Tatum is also likely to be sidelined for most, if not all, of the season after he tore his Achilles tendon during the Boston Celtics’ loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals—his $54.1 million salary for 2025-26 ranks tied for fourth in the NBA. The Celtics will collect just over $20 million based on maximum coverage.
Other high-priced stars likely to miss a chunk of next season recovering from injuries include Kyrie Irving ($36.6 million salary) and Dejounte Murray ($26.8 million salary). Irving missed the Mavericks’ last 20 games of the 2024-25 season after tearing his ACL, while Murray was sidelined for the New Orleans Pelicans’ final 33 games after rupturing his Achilles in January.
Damian Lillard, who suffered his own Achilles injury during the 2025 playoffs, was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks, who “stretched” the remaining $112.6 million left on his contract over five years. It is unclear whether insurance will cover any of his deal. A representative for the Bucks declined to comment on the matter.
The league has a separate program for injured players for salary cap purposes. The disabled player exception (DPE) allows a team to sign one replacement player after someone suffers a season-ending injury or illness. The salary is capped at the lesser of 50% of the injured player’s salary or the non-tax mid-level exemption, which is $14.1 million for the 2025-26 season. They can also acquire a player in a trade under the same salary rules, plus $100,000.
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