Pacers draft pick transfers to Clippers after lottery lands at No. 5
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 10
Pacers draft pick transfers to Clippers after lottery lands at No. 5
9 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 10
Kevin Pritchard apologised on X after Indiana’s 2026 first-rounder conveyed under February trade terms tied to Ivica Zubac, following Sunday’s lottery in Chicago.
The 19-63 Pacers had entered with a 14% shot at No. 1 and a 52.1% chance of keeping a top-four pick, but the result sent a valuable selection to Los Angeles.
Pritchard defended the gamble as necessary after Tyrese Haliburton missed the season with an Achilles tear, saying a healthy core and Zubac can still contend next year.
Did the Pacers' failed lottery gamble just slam their championship window shut?
Is Indiana's draft disaster the final proof the NBA must eliminate tanking for good?
How will the Clippers' lottery heist reshape the NBA's power balance for the next decade?