Los Angeles Clippers Mock Pacers as Draft Lottery Luck Hangs in the Balance

TL;DR

The Los Angeles Clippers are playfully mocking the Indiana Pacers on social media as the draft lottery approaches, where the Pacers have a 14% chance for the first pick. However, if they land the fifth or sixth pick, it will go to the Clippers due to a previous trade.

Key points

Clippers mock Pacers on social media about draft lottery
Pacers have a 14% chance for the first overall pick
Fifth or sixth pick goes to Clippers due to trade

Los Angeles ClippersIndiana Pacers

The Los Angeles Clippers are having some fun on social media with the Indiana Pacers as the possibility of getting their draft pick remains at about a coin flip. The Pacers, with their 19-63 record, stand a great chance of nabbing a top pick. They have a 14% chance to get the first overall pick and 52.1% chance of getting one of the first four picks. The problem, though, is that the Pacers are locked into the top six picks, leaving a 47.9% chance they’ll get pick five or six.

Mar 17, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) box out for a rebound in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images That pick is protected, but only for picks one through four. If the Pacers end up with the fifth or sixth pick, it goes to the Clippers after the February trade that sent Ivica Zubac to Indiana in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and three picks. Essentially, the Clippers, who had a 42-40 record before falling in the play-in game, have a nearly 50-50 chance to take the pick from the second worst team in the NBA. The absurdity of that situation has let the Clippers’ social media team have some fun.

So you're saying there's a 47.9% chance…

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) When the Pacers have posted about the upcoming lottery, the Clippers have been quick to express their own excitement.’ When the Pacers tweeted “may the odds be in our favor,” the and the eyes emoji: “6 days to go.” And when the Pacers posted about their having the best odds for the No. 1 pick, the with a “Dumb and Dumber” reference. “So you’re saying there’s a 47.9% chance…,” the team wrote. The post appeared first on .

Q&A

What are the Indiana Pacers' chances of getting the first overall pick in the draft lottery?

The Indiana Pacers have a 14% chance of securing the first overall pick in the draft lottery.

How does the trade involving Ivica Zubac affect the Pacers' draft pick?

The trade means that if the Pacers end up with the fifth or sixth pick, it will go to the Clippers, as the pick is protected only for the top four selections.

What was the Clippers' record before the play-in game?

Before the play-in game, the Los Angeles Clippers had a record of 42-40.