The Pacers lost the NBA Draft lottery and will not have a pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They traded their pick to the Clippers, and it fell outside the protected range.
Key points
Pacers had the best odds for a top-four pick
They finished with a 19-63 record
The fifth pick was not retained due to a trade
Pick was traded to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac
Pick conditions led to losing the selection
Mentioned in this story
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Pacers lose NBA Draft lottery, won't pick in the 2026 NBA Draft
CHICAGO -- The Pacers will not have a pick in the draft following their worst season in franchise history.
The Pacers entered Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery at Navy Pier with the best possible odds to be selected for a top-four pick in the June draft after posting a 19-63 record, the second-worst in the NBA. However, the ping-pong balls didn't bounce their way, none of their lottery combinations were selected and they were given the fifth pick in Sunday's lottery.
The Pacers don't get to keep the pick because they conditionally traded it to the Clippers in February in the trade that brought center Ivica Zubac to Indiana. The Pacers had the pick protected so they got to keep it if it landed in picks 1-4 or picks 10-30 but lost it to Los Angeles if it fell between 5-9. Had they kept this pick, they would have sent their 2031 first-round pick to the Clippers. In this case, they get to keep that selection.
The Pacers also don't have a second-round pick in the draft, having previously traded that pick. The Grizzlies hold what was the Pacers' No. 32 pick.
Washington, Memphis, Chicago and Utah received the top four picks.
Wayman Tisdale with the Indiana Pacers in 1988.
Q&A
Why won't the Pacers have a pick in the 2026 NBA Draft?
The Pacers traded their draft pick to the Clippers, and it fell outside the protected range.
What was the Pacers' record this season?
The Pacers had a record of 19-63, which was the second-worst in the NBA.
What did the Pacers receive in the trade with the Clippers?
The Pacers received center Ivica Zubac in the trade with the Clippers.
What were the conditions of the Pacers' draft pick trade?
The Pacers' pick was protected, allowing them to keep it if it landed in picks 1-4 or 10-30, but they lost it when it fell between 5-9.
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10-02-97///Pacers center Rik Smits was all smiles as he joked with reporters on media day at Market Square Arena.
George McCloud, the number one draft pick of the Pacers in 1989 sits at a table with team general manager Donnie Walsh.
Austin Croshere parlayed his play in the Finals into big money.
Feb 3, 2018; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jerryd Bayless (0) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young (21) defends in the first half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) shoots during the scrimmage portion of Pacers FanJam on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte (3) stands during a game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) shoots the ball against the Sacramento Kings during the first half of a game Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) walks up the court Tuesday, April 7, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
Wayman Tisdale with the Indiana Pacers in 1988.
1 / 9
See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
Wayman Tisdale with the Indiana Pacers in 1988.
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See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
10-02-97///Pacers center Rik Smits was all smiles as he joked with reporters on media day at Market Square Arena.
3 / 9
See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
George McCloud, the number one draft pick of the Pacers in 1989 sits at a table with team general manager Donnie Walsh.
4 / 9
See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
Austin Croshere parlayed his play in the Finals into big money.
5 / 9
See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
Feb 3, 2018; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jerryd Bayless (0) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young (21) defends in the first half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
6 / 9
See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) shoots during the scrimmage portion of Pacers FanJam on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
7 / 9
See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte (3) stands during a game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
8 / 9
See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) shoots the ball against the Sacramento Kings during the first half of a game Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
9 / 9
See every Indiana Pacers lottery pick from Wayman Tisdale to Jarace Walker
Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) walks up the court Tuesday, April 7, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Pacers made the trade believing that their most important roster priority was getting an every-day center after they lost 10-year veteran Myles Turner to the Bucks in free agency last July. The Pacers used a center-by-committee approach for much of this season before landing Zubac.
Zubac played just five games with the Pacers after spending his first month in Indiana recovering from an ankle sprain suffered in December that hadn't fully healed before the trade, then going back on the shelf with a fractured rib. However, he averaged 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in just 23.6 minutes per game for the Pacers and averaged 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in his 48 total games this season with the Pacers and Clippers. In the 2024-25 season, Zubac was named second-team All-Defense and averaged 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, making 62.8% of his field goal attempts.
Along with Zubac, the Pacers will bring back their four other starters from their 2025 NBA Finals run. All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton returns from a torn Achilles tendon and guard Andrew Nembhard and forwards Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam are also under contract.
"The core of this comes down to Ivica is a great player," Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said in an interview on The Ride with JMV on 107.5 The Fan earlier this month. "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. 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."
Buchanan noted in that interview that the Pacers could still have other opportunities to fill roster holes through free agency and trades. They only have one unrestricted free agent in forward Kobe Brown and one player on a club option in center Micah Potter but they could open up space in other ways. They won't have much money to play around with in free agency as they are already well over the salary cap and up against the luxury tax threshold, but they could use a mid-level exception to sign a player.
The draft will be held on June 23 and 24 in Brooklyn, N.Y. BYU All-American wing A.J. Dybantsa, Duke All-American forward Cameron Boozer, Kansas All-Big 12 guard Darryn Peterson and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson are expected to be the top four picks in some order. The
Pacers have never held the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in 50 years in the NBA. They have made the No. 2 selection three times but haven't picked in the top five since they took center Rik Smits No. 2 in the 1988 draft.
