In a stunning turn of events at the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago, the Indiana Pacers found themselves on the wrong end of fortune, losing their much-coveted first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers. The pick, which landed at No. 5, was part of a high-stakes trade executed at the February deadline—one that now stings even more for a franchise and fanbase desperate for a quick return to contention.
The Pacers, coming off a grueling 19-63 season—the league’s second-worst—had pinned their hopes on both the lottery and the return of star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the entire campaign after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The team’s struggles were compounded by a 1-13 start and a brutal 13-game losing streak, leaving the front office scrambling for answers and reinforcements.
Enter the trade for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown. In a bold move, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2029 first-round pick, a future second-rounder, and the 2026 first-round pick—protected only for the top four slots—to the Clippers. The plan was clear: plug the gaping hole left by Myles Turner’s free agency departure to the Milwaukee Bucks in July 2025 and give the team a legitimate starting center to pair with a healthy Haliburton.
But as fate would have it, Indiana’s pick fell to No. 5, just outside the protection window, handing a premium selection in what’s widely considered a loaded draft to Los Angeles. The Pacers, who entered the lottery with a 14% shot at the top pick and a 52.1% chance of keeping their selection in the top four, saw the less-likely scenario play out. The Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Chicago Bulls all leapt ahead, pushing Indiana down to the dreaded fifth slot.
The fallout was immediate and emotional. Pritchard took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the disappointed fanbase. “I’m really sorry to all our fans,” he wrote. “I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember—this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.”
The move for Zubac was intended as a swing for the fences, not a slow-play rebuild. “I never feel like you can slow-play your way into success in this league. You have to swing,” Pritchard told reporters after the lottery in Chicago. “So, today it stings, but wait until next season. Let’s give this group an opportunity to go compete for a championship, because they’ve proven they can do it. And we’ve added a really good center in (Zubac).”
Unfortunately, Zubac’s impact was limited in his first stint with the Pacers. The 29-year-old center managed only five games before a fractured rib and head contusion sidelined him for the remainder of the season. In those appearances, Zubac averaged 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. His defensive prowess, which saw him finish sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and nearly earn All-NBA Third Team honors in 2024-25, was sorely missed as Indiana’s frontcourt struggled to contain opponents.
The trade’s full price tag—Mathurin, Jackson, two future firsts, and a second-rounder—now looms large. The Pacers also do not own a second-round pick in the 2026 draft, having previously traded it away. That leaves Indiana without a single selection in a draft class many experts have labeled as one of the deepest in recent memory. Most mock drafts have the consensus top four—AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer—coming off the board early, but the fifth pick still holds immense value for a franchise in transition.
So why take such a gamble? The answer lies in the Pacers’ belief in their core and the urgency to contend. With Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Andrew Nembhard expected to return healthy next season, the front office saw Zubac as the missing piece to elevate the roster. “We really think (Zubac) is a great fit for us. And at the end of the day, this is what is really important: I felt like that championship team, we needed to fill that starting center [role],” Pritchard explained. “That was priority one. Because they’ve earned the right to go try to get a championship. That was not doable with protecting this to eight or nine to ten or wherever.”
Head coach Rick Carlisle echoed that sentiment, noting the silver lining in the team’s newfound financial flexibility. “If [the pick goes to the Clippers], there are other ways to improve the team. There’s a pretty significant salary slot for a top-four pick,” Carlisle said. “Theoretically, there’s the opportunity to use that money, if it’s not being spent on a high draft pick, on some players in free agency or use that gap of money to be a part of another transaction that could help us.”
Still, the disappointment reverberated throughout the Indiana basketball community. Social media buzzed with reactions as fans and analysts alike lamented the outcome. The Pacers’ calculated risk, made with eyes on a quick bounce-back, now means the Clippers hold a golden ticket in the form of the No. 5 pick—while Indiana must regroup without a single selection in the 2026 draft.
As for the Clippers, the trade couldn’t have worked out better. With their own first-round pick heading to the Oklahoma City Thunder due to the Paul George deal, landing Indiana’s No. 5 pick gives LA a rare opportunity to inject youthful talent into a roster built around veterans.
The Pacers, meanwhile, are left to ponder what might have been. But Pritchard remains steadfast in his belief that the franchise’s resilience will shine through. “We have always been resilient,” he reminded fans. “Let’s give this group an opportunity to go compete for a championship, because they’ve proven they can do it.”
With free agency looming and a healthy Haliburton set to return, Indiana’s offseason will be defined not by the excitement of draft night, but by the moves they make to supplement a core that still believes it can contend. The sting of losing the No. 5 pick is real, but the Pacers are determined to turn adversity into opportunity—one bold swing at a time.