The Indiana Pacers are currently gearing up for the 2026-27 NBA season, which is slated to get underway in around four months. The Pacers are coming off a disappointing result at the NBA draft lottery, in which their first-round pick came in at number five, meaning it was shipped to the Los Angeles Clippers as a result of the Ivica Zubac trade.
Now, NBA insider Jake Fischer has reported on how the Pacers might pivot in the aftermath of that tough break.
“The Pacers are looking to trade for a pick somewhere in the 30s early in the second round, according to league sources. Indiana’s top selection, of course, had to be conveyed to the LA Clippers as a condition of the Ivica Zubac trade after it fell to No. 5 in the lottery,” reported Fischer on Marc Stein’s Substack.
Many eyebrows were raised when the Pacers dealt a potential first-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for Zubac, with the only caveat being that Indiana could hold onto the pick if it fell inside the top four. The worst-case scenario then played out, with the pick coming in at number five and being sent to Los Angeles.
Zubac should give the Pacers a strong presence at the five, and the team was likely especially motivated to make the move after losing Myles Turner in free agency the previous offseason. Indiana is looking to hit the ground running next year with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton after a lost 2025-26 season in which the star was out with a torn Achilles.
It remains to be seen what kind of assets the Pacers might be willing to give up in order to get back in the mix in this year’s draft, which is anticipated to contain one of the deepest classes in years.
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