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Pacers lose NBA Draft lottery

The Indiana Pacers entered Sunday’s 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with one of the league’s worst records and a strong chance at landing a franchise-changing prospect. Instead, the lottery delivered a costly outcome that immediately sparked reactions across social media.

Indiana finished the season 19-63 and entered the lottery with a 52.1% chance of securing a top-four pick. However, the ping-pong balls placed the Pacers at No. 5 overall. Because of protections attached to their midseason trade with the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, the selection now belongs to Los Angeles.

The result became one of the biggest talking points following the lottery announcement. The Washington Wizards won the No. 1 overall pick, while the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Chicago Bulls rounded out the top four. The Clippers now own the fifth pick after Indiana failed to move into the protected range.

Indiana Pacers Fans React After Los Angeles Clippers Receive No. 5 Pick

The Pacers acquired Zubac earlier this year while trying to stabilize the center position after losing Myles Turner in free agency last offseason. Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, a 2028 second-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick and conditional draft compensation to Los Angeles in the deal.

The protection on the 2026 pick allowed Indiana to keep the selection only if it landed in the top four. Once the lottery placed the Pacers at No. 5, the pick officially transferred to the Clippers.

The outcome immediately triggered strong reactions from NBA fans across X.

“For the next 2 years, I’d rather have zubac on this team than a 19 year old guard who is erratic, undeveloped, and a bench player,” one fan wrote.

Others focused on Indiana’s season-long tanking effort and the final result.

“Who did we think we were thinking something would actually go our way for once😂😂😂,” another fan posted.

“The Pacers TANKED all season for… Ivica Zubac 😬 They didn’t land their lottery pick because of the trade. What a meltdown…” another user added.

Several reactions referenced the unusual protection structure attached to the trade.

“The Pacers really committed one of the most unethical tanking jobs ever… Just to lose their first-round pick 😭,” one post read.

“Pacers getting NOBODY after that year is cruel, but hilarious,” another fan wrote.

Others questioned the deal’s long-term value.

“The Pacers front office made a huge mistake, damn,” one fan posted.

“Pacers losing a top five pick from a midseason trade where they still weren’t trying to win after is crazy,” another user added.

The reactions reflected frustration surrounding Indiana’s inability to capitalize on one of the strongest projected draft classes in recent years, headlined by BYU star AJ Dybantsa, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.

Indiana Pacers Still Believe Ivica Zubac Trade Can Help Core

GettyLos Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac

Despite losing the pick, Indiana’s front office has publicly defended the decision to acquire Zubac.

Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan recently explained the organization’s thinking during an appearance on “The Ride with JMV” on 107.5 The Fan.

“The core of this comes down to Ivica is a great player,” Buchanan said. “We’ve been a big believer, a big fan of him for a long time.”

Buchanan also pointed to Indiana’s desire to remain competitive around its current roster core.

“This team has shown that it’s capable of doing some really special things,” Buchanan said. “We were missing a starting center that we thought could keep us in that mix.”

Zubac appeared in only five games for Indiana after the trade while dealing with injuries, including a fractured rib. Across the season with both the Clippers and Pacers, he averaged 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Indiana still expects to return much of its core next season, including Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal Siakam. However, Sunday’s lottery result removed one potential avenue for adding another elite young prospect to the roster.

The 2026 NBA Draft will take place June 23-24 in Brooklyn.