Pacers president Kevin Pritchard apologized to fans after the team lost its top-five draft pick to the Clippers following the trade deadline deal that sent Bennedict Mathurin and a top-four protected pick to Los Angeles in exchange for Ivica Zubac.
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery did not go the way the Indiana Pacers had hoped.
Because of the trade deadline deal that sent their top-four protected pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Ivica Zubac, the Pacers lost their selection after it landed at No. 5.
Indiana finished the season with the second-worst record in the NBA and had tied for the best odds to land the No. 1 pick, but everything fell apart on lottery night.
After the lottery, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard apologized to fans, taking responsibility for the risk of trading the pick while also reminding everyone that the team acquired what it believes is its starting center of the future.
"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," Pritchard wrote on X.
Now, the Pacers will have to move forward without a top-five pick in the upcoming draft, hoping that Zubac's impact can help justify the gamble as they look to bounce back next season.
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