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The Indiana Pacers’ risky move backfired after the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery saw them completely lose their top pick in a disastrous turn of events on Sunday afternoon.
Heading into the lottery, the Pacers, who went 19-63 just one season after reaching the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference, had a 52.1% chance of having a top-four pick.
However, when they didn’t see their team chosen in the first four picks (Indiana also had a 14% chance of getting the first overall pick), it was time to panic.
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Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard speaks during a press conference to announce the contract extension of center Miles Turner at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on January 30, 2023. (Marc Lebryk/USA TODAY Sports)
The reason? The Pacers included their first-round pick in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac, but only made her a protected top-four pick. That means if the Pacers were a top-four lottery pick, they could keep him.
But the Pacers were taken with the No. 5 pick, and the Clippers now own the pick in next month’s draft.
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As a result, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard took full responsibility for the move and apologized on social media.
“I’m so sorry to all of our fans,” he wrote on
Signs are displayed during the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois on May 10, 2026. (Melissa Tamez/NBAE/Getty Images)
The Pacers were seen as a team that was actively sinking despite the NBA’s attempt to crack down on such a season, and the lottery was one way to do it. And it clearly worked this time.
Pritchard was trying to be transparent and honest with the Pacers fan base, but people were quick to jump into the comments to make their thoughts and complaints known.
“You lose Myles Turner and add Zubac,” one X user began. “You lose [Benedict] Mathurin and the number 5 pick with absolutely nothing in return. That’s why fans are upset, about a center who isn’t even among the top 5 centers in the NBA. Who changes their future for Ivan? [sic] “Zubac???”
Another X user called this a “generational draft” and couldn’t imagine the Pacers wouldn’t pick from a deep class.
“If I were a Pacers fan and my team traded a top-5 pick for Ivica Zubac in the middle of a tanking season, I would be beyond devastated,” wrote a fellow X user.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shoots on the court before an NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Indianapolis on April 7, 2026. (Doug McSchooler/AP)
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The Pacers were without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season long after he suffered an Achilles injury during the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But Indiana still has key members of that team returning next season, including Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith.
However, this 2026 draft class is quite the spectacle, and many believe it is deep considering the talents of BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, UNC’s Caleb Wilson and Duke’s Cam Boozer, among others.
