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Without question, Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers seem like the clear biggest loser of the 2026 NBA Draft lottery. Where a long-tormented franchise like the Washington Wizards gets its pick of the bunch in a class loaded with star-caliber talent, the Pacers don't even get to keep their pick after a 19-63 season without Haliburton that saw them finish with the NBA's second-worst record. Instead, the pick, which will be No. 5 overall, is owed to the L.A. Clippers (who might just give it away as a possible punishment for the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap circumvention scandal).
Oh, yeah. It is as bad as it sounds.
But why exactly do the Pacers owe the Clippers their pick?
For those who don't remember this year's NBA trade deadline, the Pacers traded away the rights to their 2026 top pick to the Clippers to acquire underrated big man Ivica Zubac. The pick was top-four protected, meaning the Pacers would've kept it if they had stayed in the top four of the draft order. It's the outcome they were certainly hoping for in an unofficial tank campaign without Haliburton. But by falling to No. 5, the selection is now conveyed to the Clippers. Oof.
Tough luck for a Pacers team that lost its star player to serious injury in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, which it also lost, within the last calendar year. And kudos to the Clippers for seeing their bet on a good trade return for Zubac actually paying off. If L.A. is set to build a new contending window with Leonard and Darius Garland, this is a solid start.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NBA Draft Lottery: Why Pacers disastrously owe Clippers their pick
Continue reading...
Oh, yeah. It is as bad as it sounds.
But why exactly do the Pacers owe the Clippers their pick?
For those who don't remember this year's NBA trade deadline, the Pacers traded away the rights to their 2026 top pick to the Clippers to acquire underrated big man Ivica Zubac. The pick was top-four protected, meaning the Pacers would've kept it if they had stayed in the top four of the draft order. It's the outcome they were certainly hoping for in an unofficial tank campaign without Haliburton. But by falling to No. 5, the selection is now conveyed to the Clippers. Oof.
Tough luck for a Pacers team that lost its star player to serious injury in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, which it also lost, within the last calendar year. And kudos to the Clippers for seeing their bet on a good trade return for Zubac actually paying off. If L.A. is set to build a new contending window with Leonard and Darius Garland, this is a solid start.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NBA Draft Lottery: Why Pacers disastrously owe Clippers their pick
Continue reading...
