Getty

Tyrese Haliburton Pacers

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton commented on his team losing the No. 5 overall pick in the NBA draft to the Los Angeles Clippers.

As part of the Pacers’ trade-deadline deal for center Ivica Zubac, the Pacers sent the Clippers a lottery-protected first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft. The conditions of the pick were intriguing, as the Pacers protected it from 1-4 and again from 10-30. That meant that if the Pacers’ pick ended up from 5-9, it would be conveyed to the Clippers.

Unfortunately for Indiana, the ping-pong balls did not bounce their way, and the team’s 2026 first-round pick slipped in the lottery down to No. 5 overall in the NBA draft. Thus, the Clippers ended up getting the pick, which led to Pacers president Kevin Pritchard apologizing to the fans for losing their first-rounder this year.

Tyrese Haliburton Comments on Pacers Losing No. 5 Overall Draft Pick

Speaking to the Amazon Prime Sports broadcast team, the Pacers’ best player, Haliburton — who missed the entire season with a torn Achilles’ tendon suffered in last year’s NBA Finals — was asked to comment on his team losing its top pick in next month’s NBA draft.

“I mean, it was a coin toss. I mean, the way I’m looking at the last 12 months for me, dating back from June, I didn’t think we were really due any luck. You know, it’s been a rough 12 months for me. KP didn’t have to apologize. They took a calculated risk. I’m still rolling with the decision, and I’m excited to add Zu to the crew, and I still think we’ll be really good beside him. It’s how the cookie crumbles sometimes, and I’m still really excited about our group,” Haliburton said.

The Pacers Gave up a Haul for Zubac

Acquiring Zubac, who is one of the NBA’s top defensive big men, came at a high price for the Pacers.

In addition to giving up the No. 5 overall pick this year, the Pacers also traded swingman Bennedict Mathurin, forward Isaiah Jackson, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick, and a 2028 second-round pick for Zubac and forward Kobe Brown. The decision to part ways with not one, but two first-round picks, is looking quite disastrous in hindsight, especially after the Pacers ended up getting No. 5 in this year’s draft, forcing them to convey that pick instead of delaying it until 2031. The 2029 first-round pick the Pacers are also giving up in the trade is unprotected, too, so if this team has a bad year that season, they could potentially be giving up another lottery pick.

The team is hopeful that Zubac is worth the high cost. The 29-year-old native of Bosnia and Herzegovina is signed for two more years at roughly $20 million per season, which is a bargain given he is one of the best defensive bigs in the NBA. But he only played in 48 games this season, split between Los Angeles and Indiana, including only five games in a Pacers’ uniform. If this trade is going to be worth it, then Zubac is going to need to stay healthy and help the Pacers make another NBA Finals run like they did last season when Haliburton was fully healthy. Otherwise, it could end up being one of the worst trades in recent memory, especially if the Clippers end up picking a future star at No. 5 overall.