{"id":194951,"date":"2026-05-11T07:15:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=194951"},"modified":"2026-05-11T07:33:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T11:33:33","slug":"pacers-ivica-zubac-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/05\/11\/pacers-ivica-zubac-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Overpay? Pacers’ Ivica Zubac Trade Finalized After Draft Lottery Gods Continue To Mock Indiana"},"content":{"rendered":"

INDIANA \u2014 The Indiana<\/strong> Pacers’<\/strong> Ivica Zubac<\/a> trade officially entered a new phase on lottery night, and somehow the basketball gods found yet another creative way to torment Indiana. What was supposed to be a franchise reset through the draft lottery instead became a brutal reminder<\/a> that luck and the Pacers have spent decades actively avoiding each other. Indiana entered the night tied for the best odds at the No. 1 overall pick. They left it apologizing to fans after landing exactly where they couldn\u2019t afford to land: fifth.<\/p>\n

Overpay? Pacers’ Ivica Zubac Trade Finalized After Draft Lottery Gods Continue To Mock Indiana<\/h2>\n
\"May
May 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view during the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery at Navy Pier. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That result immediately finalized the Pacers’ Ivica Zubac trade details with the pick conveying to the Los Angeles Clippers.<\/strong> Not top four? Pick gone. Simple. Cruel. Almost impressively cruel, honestly. The Pacers had a 52.1% chance to keep their selection entering the night, yet the flattened lottery odds and Indiana\u2019s long-running feud with lottery luck combined once again like a buddy cop movie nobody asked for.<\/p>\n

Kevin Pritchard addressed fans shortly after the results with a remarkably candid statement on X. \u201cI\u2019m really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck.\u201d If nothing else, you can\u2019t accuse the Pacers president of hiding behind corporate PR language. This was essentially a live public acceptance stage of grief.<\/p>\n

\n

I'm really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember – this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.<\/p>\n

— Kevin Pritchard (@PacersKev) May 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n