After a dreadful 19-63 season that included a $100,000 fine from the NBA for tanking, the Indiana Pacers won’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. During the NBA Draft Lottery, the Pacers landed to the No. 5 overall pick despite having a 52% chance of landing in the top four and 14% chance of ending up with the No. 1 overall pick.
Unfortunately for Indiana, that pick now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade. Prior to the trade deadline in February, the Pacers dealt Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and two first-round picks (this year’s pick and a 2029 first-rounder) to the Clippers in exchange for Zubac and Kobe Brown.
After losing this year’s first-round pick, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard sent a candid message apologizing to Indiana fans. Bomani Jones was stunned by Pritchard’s reaction and argued that the Pacers should fire him immediately.
NBA Analyst Bomani Jones Rips Kevin Pritchard for Apology to Pacers Fans
“I’m really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck,” Pritchard wrote on X. “But please remember – this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.”
This apology did not go over well with Jones, who couldn’t believe Pritchard admitted that he made the trade based on Indiana being “due some luck.”
On “The Right Time with Bomani Jones,” he urged the Pacers to cut ties with Pritchard, who previously served as the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I would fire him TODAY. That’s the dumbest s*** I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Bomani reacts to Pacers’ President Kevin Pritchard’s insane apology tweet after losing their lottery pick 😳 pic.twitter.com/dhK1uU5PMz
— The Right Time with Bomani Jones (@righttimebomani) May 11, 2026
“He sent a tweet apologizing for making that trade after the pick didn’t go their way. His explanation for the trade — and if I’m lying, I’m flying — he just thought they were ‘due some luck,'” Jones said in disbelief. “So we’re clear, if you believe that explanation, he made that trade feeling certain that the Pacers were going to get to keep their pick, and the reason was they were due some good luck. He said ‘due some luck’!
“I would fire him today. That’s the dumbest sh*t I’ve ever heard in my life. And a couple weeks ago, somebody said to my face that the characters on ‘The Wire’ didn’t have no depth. I don’t want you to think I say that every time I hear something that I think something’s the dumbest sh*t in my life. There’s a new champion. The new champion is Kevin Pritchard. He just thought we were due some luck!
If he had said ‘I thought God was on our side,’ I would’ve been more okay with that and I’ll tell you why: People don’t think God is luck. He thinks God is real, if you say that, and maybe he just read the tea leaves wrong or whatever. Kevin Pritchard truly believed, ‘We’re due.’ [That] was the strategy!”
Jones’ co-host Ryan Brumley added: “That’s 100% going all in because we’re going to win this hand.”
“I can’t lose nine hands in a row, so put the rest of the money on this one! We’re due for good cards!” Jones said in response.
The Pacers went from dreaming about thinking they’d land a top prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft such as BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, or North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson to not getting a first-round prospect at all.
Zubac is a solid center, but trading a top-five pick and an unprotected 2029 first for him looks insane. This season, Zubac averaged 14.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 blocks on 59.8% shooting from the field. He appeared in just five games with the Pacers, averaging 11.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 23.6 minutes.
It remains to be seen if the Pacers will stand by Pritchard despite his mistake or if they will take Jones’ advice and make some major changes in their front office.
