Pacers’ Kevin Pritchard apologizes to fans for draft lottery gamble gone wrong
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- Indiana Pacers president Kevin Pritchard took a significant risk by trading the team's 2026 first-round pick to the LA Clippers, with conditions that it would transfer if the pick landed between No. 5 and No. 9 in the NBA Draft Lottery.
- The pick landed at No. 5, meaning the Clippers received it, prompting Pritchard to publicly apologize to Pacers fans for the gamble that did not pay off.
- The trade involved the Clippers sending Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown to Indiana in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and multiple draft picks, with Pritchard emphasizing the need for a starting center to compete next season.
- Despite a tough season marred by injuries and a poor record, the Pacers expect to return a healthy core including Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Zubac, aiming to compete for a championship.
- Pritchard acknowledged the disappointment but defended the aggressive approach, stating that success in the NBA requires taking risks rather than slow-playing.