yahoo - 5/10/2026 11:52:36 PM - GMT (+2 )
With their eyes on returning to contention after a season off for Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers had a shot at adding a top 4 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, one of the deepest in draft history.
Instead, they won’t have a first-round draft pick at all.
The Pacers fell out of the top of Sunday’s NBA Draft lottery, and their pick that wasn’t protected outside of the top four will now fall to the Los Angeles Clippers via the Ivica Zubac trade.
The Pacers’ full price paid for Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline:
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 10, 2026
Bennedict Mathurin
Isaiah Jackson
No. 5 overall pick
2029 unprotected 1st
Future 2nd
A massive price to pay in the end. pic.twitter.com/HqXeAch4Is
This prompted an apology from Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard on social media.
I'm really sorry to all our fans. 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.
— Kevin Pritchard (@PacersKev) May 10, 2026
“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote on social media. “I won 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 cner to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.”
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