Indiana Pacers Lose First-Round Draft Pick, Send Pick Five To Clippers
Indiana’s protected pick transferred to Los Angeles after the Pacers landed at No. 5, leaving the Clippers with the 2026 first-round selection.
- On Sunday, May 10, 2026, the Indiana Pacers lost their 2026 first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers after the lottery placed the selection at No. 5.
- Because of protections attached to the midseason trade for center Ivica Zubac, the pick transferred to Los Angeles, despite Indiana entering the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick.
- The Pacers finished the season 19-63, and Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard defended the acquisition by stating the team needed a starting center to remain competitive.
- Following the lottery, Pritchard apologized to fans on Twitter, expressing disappointment while emphasizing the team's commitment to winning and later telling reporters his heart was "beating like it was Game 7."
- The organization expects to return a core group next season, including Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal Siakam, to compete at the highest level.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Pacers first-round pick: Why pick was more protected in Zubac trade
Associated Press News
The Indiana Pacers were hoping for a top-4 pick. They wound up with nothing in the draft lottery
The Indiana Pacers were hoping for a top-four selection in the NBA draft. They missed getting there by one spot. That means they got nothing.
“I Lost”: Tyrese Haliburton Breaks Silence After Pacers’ NBA Draft Lottery Gamble Fails
Three years ago, he sat on stage at the Draft Lottery with his heart pounding, his lip trembling slightly, willing the ping-pong balls to move in Indiana’s favor. They didn’t, the Pacers stayed at seven, and Haliburton walked away with a stoic shrug and a joke about Victor Wembanyama going West. Sunday in Chicago, the stakes were exponentially higher, and the result was exponentially worse. Tyrese Haliburton watched the Pacers’ lottery gamble co…
Pacers Lost The NBA Draft lottery And Will Not Pick In The 2026 Draft
Source: Eakin Howard / Getty Pacers Lost The NBA Draft lottery And Will Not Pick In The 2026 Draft The Indiana Pacers faced a tough blow in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, leaving them without a pick in this year’s draft. The Zubac trade, executed in February, was designed to address the Pacers’ need for a starting center after Myles Turner’s departure to the Milwaukee Bucks. The deal included protections on the pick, allowing Indiana to retain it o…
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