Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard acknowledged the risks he took when he traded the team’s 2026 first-round pick, along with other assets, to the Los Angeles Clippers in a February deal centered on center Ivica Zubac. The pick came with conditions: if it fell between No. 5 and No. 9 in the NBA Draft Lottery, it would transfer to the Clippers.
On Sunday, luck was not on Indiana’s side, as the pick landed at No. 5, now belonging to Los Angeles. Feeling the weight of the outcome, Pritchard took to social media to apologize for his miscalculation.
“I’m truly sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote. “I take full responsibility for taking this risk. I was surprised it ended up at No. 5 after this season. I thought we were due some good fortune.”
The Pacers finished the season with a 19-63 record, one of the worst in the league, and entered the lottery with a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick. The odds of landing at fifth or sixth were around 48%, while there was a 52.1% chance of a top-four selection.
With star point guard Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the entire season after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Pacers struggled from the start. They opened the season 1-13 and endured a 13-game losing streak at one point.
By the February trade deadline, Pritchard decided to make a move. The full trade saw the Clippers send Zubac and guard Kobe Brown to Indiana in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and one second-round pick.
The Clippers won the gamble on Indiana’s 2026 pick and also hold the Pacers’ 2029 first-round selection. Zubac, 29, played only five games for Indiana this season after suffering a fractured rib and a head contusion in March. Pritchard insisted that adding Zubac was necessary not just for this season.
“But please remember, this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year,” he wrote. “We have always been resilient.”
The Clippers’ own first-round pick, which was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the 2019 Paul George trade, landed at No. 12.
Looking ahead, the Pacers are expected to have a healthy core around Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Andrew Nembhard next season. Adding a healthy Zubac will only strengthen the team, according to Pritchard, who said he is willing to live with the loss.
“I’m OK with that,” Pritchard told reporters after the lottery in Chicago. “In life—maybe this gets a little philosophical—but I never feel like you can slow-play your way into success in this league. You have to take chances.”
“So, today it stings, but wait until next season. Let’s give this group an opportunity to compete for a championship, because they’ve proven they can do it. And we’ve added a really good center in (Zubac).”
