Pacers president Kevin Pritchard apologizes after team loses draft pick
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The Indiana Pacers’ risky move backfired after they completely lost the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery in a disastrous turn of events on Sunday afternoon.
Going 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 finishing in the top four.
But when they didn’t see their team picked in the first four picks (Indiana also had a 14% chance of taking the No. 1 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 on January 30, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Marc Lebryk/USA TODAY Sports)
Why? The Pacers included a first-round pick in their trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac, but only made it a protected top-four pick. This means if the Pacers are in the top four of the lottery, they can keep that.
However, the Pacers selected him with the 5th pick and the pick is now in the hands of the Clippers in next month’s draft.
NBA LOTTER CHAOS: WASHINGTON WIZARDS STRIKE GOLD, PACERS PAY FOR TANKING GAMBLING NIGHTMARE
As a result, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard apologized on social media and took full responsibility for the move.
“I truly apologize to all our fans.” wrote to x. “I’m taking that chance. I’m surprised they finished 5th after this year. I thought we had some luck. But please remember; this team deserved a starting center that could compete with the best teams next year. We’ve always been resilient.”
The sign is displayed during the 2026 NBA Draft Raffle at Navy Pier on May 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Melissa Tamez/NBAE/Getty Images)
The Pacers were seen as a team actively tanking despite the NBA’s efforts to prevent such a season; The lottery was also a way of doing this. And this time it clearly worked.
Pritchard was trying to be transparent and honest with the Pacers fan base, but people quickly jumped into the comments to make their thoughts and complaints known.
“You lose Myles Turner and add Zubac,” one X user began. “You lost [Benedict] Mathurin and number 5 are chosen without expecting anything in return. That’s why fans are upset about a center who isn’t even a top 5 player in the NBA. Who would trade their future for Ivan? [sic] Zubac???”
Another
A fellow X user wrote: “If I were a Pacers fan and my team gave up the top 5 pick to Ivica Zubac in the middle of a tanking season, I would be much more devastated.”
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shoots on the court before an NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 7, 2026 in Indianapolis. (Doug McSchooler/AP)
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The Pacers have been without All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton all season after he suffered an Achilles injury during the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, Indiana still has key members of the team returning next season, such as Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith.
However, this 2026 draft class is pretty spectacular; many believe it is deep, given the talent of BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, UNC’s Caleb Wilson and Duke’s Cam Boozer, among others.
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