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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Ivica Zubac #40 of the Los Angeles Clippers looks to pass during a game against the Golden State Warriors at Intuit Dome on January 05, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

The Indiana Pacers had the worst possible luck in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery. Instead of coming away with a top-four pick, they actually lost the pick. The fifth pick in the draft now goes to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade.

Zubac was brought in by Indiana at the trade deadline this year to be the center of the future. After Myles Turner left last summer, the Pacers needed a center badly. The ones they trotted out for most of this year are simply not good enough to start in the NBA.

After the results of the lottery, fans started crushing Kevin Pritchard for it. One writer is crushing him for the talent evaluation of Zubac, now.

Pacers Get Crushed for Talent Evaluation in Ivica Zubac Trade

Indiana was crushed by Jay King of The Athletic for poor evaluation of talent in this trade. He questions how good the team is with the current core that made the 2025 NBA Finals.

“Given the struggles many players have encountered after the injury, it wouldn’t be shocking if Haliburton has already played the best basketball of his career. Outside of him, the Pacers have plenty of other questions, including an important one: How good are they?”

Indiana shouldn’t be fielding these types of questions. When Haliburton was healthy, Indiana made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024. Add in a run to the NBA Finals last season, and it’s clear this core is talented enough to be one of the best teams in the East.

The Pacers protected this pick because they believe there are too many guards in the 5-9 range. If their pick fell out of the top four, none of the guys they wanted were in that range. Tyrese Haliburton will be back, and Andrew Nembhard is a great shooting guard. T.J. McConnell is the perfect backup point guard, too.

Indiana Has a lot of Hope Resting on Tyrese Haliburton

The merits of this trade will not rest on Zubac, but on Haliburton. He established himself as a top-10 player in the NBA before he got hurt. How this trade is viewed will be predicated on how Haliburton is able to return from his injury and how quickly he can get back to being elite.

In 2025, the Pacers had the third-best offense in the playoffs. Haliburton is the straw that stirs the offense. How he gets Zubac involved in the offense will be a big indicator of how the new center is able to fit in Indiana. Haliburton is the key to the future of the team.

Zubac was an All-Defensive player two seasons ago. His ability to gobble up rebounds is not something the Pacers have ever had on their team. He should fit nicely next to Pascal Siakam, who has improved his 3-point shooting immensely since coming to Indiana.