The Washington Wizards won the draft lottery on Sunday and are poised to pick No 1 overall for the first time since choosing John Wall in that spot in 2010. Wall was the Wizards’ on-stage representative for the lottery. However, the bigger story today was the Indiana Pacers. Rick Carlisle and co entered the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery hoping their franchise-worst season would finally deliver a top draft selection. Instead, the lottery outcome left them without a single pick in this year’s draft.
Despite finishing 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA, Indiana’s lottery combination did not land inside the protected range needed to keep its first-round pick. The ping-pong balls ultimately gave the Pacers the No 5 overall selection, which automatically transferred to the Los Angeles Clippers because of a previous trade agreement.
Why Indiana no longer owns its 2026 first-round pick
The draft complication stems from the February trade that brought center Ivica Zubac to Indiana. The Pacers had placed protections on the pick, allowing them to retain it only if it landed between Nos 1-4 or Nos 10-30. Since the selection fell at No 5, it conveyed directly to the Clippers.
Had Indiana retained the pick, the franchise instead would have owed Los Angeles a 2031 first-rounder. By losing the No 5 selection, the Pacers now keep that future draft asset.
Indiana also no longer owns a second-round pick. That selection – No 32 overall 0 belongs to the Memphis Grizzlies following an earlier trade.
Pacers made trade believing Zubac filled major need
Indiana’s front office made the deal after prioritizing a long-term starting center following Myles Turner’s departure in free agency to the Milwaukee Bucks last offseason.
The Pacers relied heavily on a center-by-committee system before acquiring Zubac, who battled injuries after arriving in Indiana. The veteran big man appeared in just five games for the Pacers because of lingering ankle problems and later a fractured rib. Still, he averaged 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in limited minutes during his brief stretch with Indiana.
Across the full 2025-26 season with both franchises, Zubac averaged 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. The previous season, he earned All-Defensive Second Team honors while posting career-best numbers.
Pacers still committed to Finals core
Even without a draft pick, Indiana will return most of the group that helped the franchise reach the 2025 NBA Finals. Tyrese Haliburton is expected back after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, while Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam also remain under contract.
“The core of this comes down to Ivica is a great player,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said earlier this month during an interview on 107.5 The Fan.
“We’ve been a big believer, a big fan of him for a long time. This team has shown that it’s capable of doing some really special things. We were missing a starting center that we thought could keep us in that mix.”
He added: “We owed it to this group and these fans and our community to put us in position to try and do and replicate some of the things we’ve seen these last two years from this team.”
Although the Pacers will not make a selection in the June draft, the franchise could still reshape parts of the roster through trades or free agency.
