In a turn of events that is sure to be a disappointment to Indiana Pacers fans, the team just lost its 2026 lottery pick.
The pick now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers after it fell to number five, and the NBA World is losing it.
NBA World Reacts to Pacers Losing Their Pick to Clippers
The LA Clippers did not have their own pick coming into the 2025-26 NBA trade deadline. That changed when the Indiana Pacers decided to make a deal for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown.
In exchange for those two, the Pacers sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and several picks, including a heavily protected 2026 first-overall pick.
For the Pacers, it was a calculated gamble, that 2026 pick would only fall to the Clippers if it fell out of the top four. Based on their record at that point in the season, it was safe to assume they were going to land a top-four pick.
When the season concluded, the Pacers had the second-worst record (19-63) and were tied for the highest odds of landing the first overall pick at 14 percent. There was still a chance it would go to the Clippers, but the odds seemed to favor them.
After the dust from the lottery settled, that pick landed at five, one spot away from remaining with Indiana. Here is how the NBA world reacted to this twist.
“The Pacers TANKED all season for… Ivica Zubac 😬. They didn’t land their lottery pick because of the trade. What a meltdown,” one account posted.
The Pacers TANKED all season for… Ivica Zubac 😬
They didn’t land their lottery pick because of the trade. What a meltdown… pic.twitter.com/lSR6oaEnyG
— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) May 10, 2026
“Absolutely devastating for the Pacers. Imagine being that close to a top-4 pick in this draft… on a rookie salary,” one person said.
Absolutely devastating for the Pacers
Imagine being THAT close to a top-4 pick in this draft…on a rookie salary
— Doug Kezirian (@DougKezirian) May 10, 2026
“That’s brutal for the Pacers. So close to getting one of the big four. After a year of tanking they get nothing,” another post said.
That’s brutal for the Pacers. So close to getting one of the big four.
After a year of tanking they get nothing
— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) May 10, 2026
“The Pacers not getting a lottery pick after that season feels like such a disaster. Ivica Zubac should be a good fit with Tyrese Haliburton, but he’s 29 and has one accolade (a 2024-25 All-Defensive nod) in his career,” another said.
“Pacers losing a top five pick from a midseason trade where they still weren’t trying to win after is crazy,” one post said.
“No pressude Ivica Zubac but you are going to have to be Kareem now,” one person joked.
No pressure Ivica Zubac but you are going to have to be Kareem now. https://t.co/vepHGC9ZYU
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 10, 2026
Losing their shot at a top-four pick in a class that is absolutely loaded with elite prospects at the top is devastating for the Pacers. Had they landed in the top four, they would have had something to show for the 2025-26 campaign, which was basically lost following Tyrese Haliburton’s injury in the 2025 NBA Finals.
Being able to pair any of the top prospects in this class with Haliburton might have ensured they remain as contenders in the coming years. Now, they have to build around their star guard in other ways while also waiting to see how he bounces back from his injury.
READ MORE: 2026 NBA Draft Order: Complete Lottery Results After Wizards Win No. 1 Overall Pick
Zubac is no slouch at the center position. He is currently one of the league’s best rebounders, averaging double-figure boards in each of the last two seasons. Offensively, he also uses his 7-foot frame effectively, averaging double figures in points in each of the last five seasons.
The league is yet to see how well a Zubac-Haliburton pairing might perform. However, it feels like a consolation when one thinks about how close the Pacers were to landing a top-four prospect.
