As the best of the NBA battled throughout the regular season and playoffs for a chance to lift the Larry O’Brein trophy, some teams were engaged in a race to the bottom.
Over a quarter of the league did everything they could to stay away from the win column, with the NBA even fining teams for this practice commonly known as "tanking".
Because of this, the NBA plans to implement a new system for the drawing for the lottery, which will go into effect next season. This change was not the only reason why the stakes for this year's draft lottery were so high.
After playing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals just one year ago, the Indiana Pacers found themselves tied for the best odds for the first pick.
Earlier in the 2025-26 season, Indiana’s front office took a huge gamble at the trade deadline.
In a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Pacers sent forwards Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, their 2026 top-four protected first round pick, their 2029 unprotected first-round pick, and a future second-round pick in exchange for center Ivica Zubac.
The trade was supposed to plug a hole left by the departure of Myles Turner in the offseason, but it also had much more significant implications than improving their center position.
The key piece of this trade was this 2026 top-four protected pick. Since the pick was top four protected, the Pacers would take back ownership of their pick if the lottery balls fell in their favor to give them a top four pick at the draft lottery.
In tandem with injuries and some tanking, Indiana finished the season with a 19-63 record, tied for the best odds at the number one pick.
As soon as everything started to look up for the blue and gold on draft night, the lottery actually started.
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum delivered the news that no Pacers fan wanted to hear that night.
“The fifth pick in the NBA Draft will be made by the LA Clippers.”
Brutal.
A year of losing and tanking, a risky trade to get a center and a gamble to keep their pick, all for nothing. At the last possible opportunity, the Clippers took the Pacers pick at the last possible spot. This loss of a pick now makes it 37 years since Indiana picked in the top five, with their last selection being George McCloud in 1989.
Shortly after the lottery ended, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard took to X to issue a formal apology to the Indiana faithful. “I’m really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk,” Pritchard said. “But please remember – this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year.”
So, what is next for the Pacers? Sitting without a lottery pick after being in the best position to top the draft board is a difficult spot to be in. However, the team is not out of options by any means.
Focus on Haliburton’s return
This is the most immediate concern for the team. After leading Indiana to the NBA Finals with one of the most exciting and clutch runs in recent history, it should be Indiana’s top priority to get Tyrese Haliburton back healthy and on the floor, to lead the Pacers back to the win column.
Although the 63 losses don’t happen at the loss of just one player, the absence of Haliburton was absolutely felt throughout the season. Having him back to run the offense with familiar faces and the new addition of Zubac will be crucial for Indiana and its quest to return to the top.
Be aggressive in the trade market
Despite swinging for the fences and whiffing, Pritchard and the Pacers front office need to keep their confidence level high. The team is in win-now mode, and if that wasn’t evident by the aggressive nature of the Zubac trade, comments from Pritchard made it explicitly clear after the draft that the time is now.
“We’re in win-now,” Pritchard said. “We’re going to try to make moves this summer, maybe around the edges, maybe big, but we’ll see about that.”
Indiana will come back next season with a nearly identical roster and starting five that took the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the NBA Finals this past year.
If Indiana wants to continue to compete with the top of the league, it will have to be aggressive with trades and go into the luxury tax. With the way Pritchard took a risk with the Zubac trade, don’t be surprised if the Pacers go into the luxury tax this summer.
The mysterious contingency plan
This is the most ambiguous option the Pacers have, at least from the perspective of the fans. Prior to the lottery, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle spoke to the media, discussing how the team had “a contingency plan” for if the pick didn’t end up in their hands as they hoped. And sure enough, Indiana lost their pick.
Now what this contingency plan really is, we don’t know. Most speculate it to be a plan for trades or signings to be made to improve depth off the bench. Some think it may be a move to trade back into the first round, or even the lottery. Whatever it may be, Carlisle reassured that it will “build the team up, too.”
Two big dates in June can help shape the future of the Pacers. The 2026 NBA Draft starts on June 23rd, where the Pacers do not own a pick, and NBA free agency negotiations begin on June 30th. No one knows what this summer looks like for Indiana.
Only time will tell what’s next for the Blue and Gold.
