Clippers Won the Ivica Zubac Trade So Resoundingly the Pacers GM Just Apologized to Fans

The Los Angeles Clippers' offseason is off to an excellent start. The best-case scenario heading into the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery occurred on Sunday afternoon, and the Clippers landed the No. 5 pick from the Indiana Pacers. This not only makes the Clippers' future immediately brighter, but it also proves that they resoundingly won the Ivica Zubac trade.

Zubac was sent to the Pacers at the trade deadline alongside Kobe Brown. In return, the Clippers received a 2026 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, Bennedict Mathurin, and Isaiah Jackson.

The 2026 pick was protected 1-4 and 10-30, which meant that the Clippers would only receive the pick if it fell between 5 and 9. If the pick didn't convey this season, it was going to be deferred to 2031.

When the Pacers finished with the second-worst record in the league, the Clippers only had a 47.9% chance of getting the pick from Indiana. But the lottery gods smiled on the Clippers and gave them the best possible pick that they could have gotten in the draft.

Pacers GM Apologizes to Fans for the Ivica Zubac Trade Blunder

The Clippers certainly have every reason to celebrate, but the same can't be said about the Pacers. In fact, this is such a disastrous outcome for Indiana that their president of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard apologized to Pacers fans after the Draft Lottery.

Pritchard posted on X on Sunday afternoon, "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."

When asked about it by Pacers insider Tony East, Pritchard said that while losing the pick stings, "you can't slow-play your way into success in this league." He added that he took a big swing and got a "really good center in Zubac."

This type of transparency from a lead decision-maker is rare and refreshing. The Pacers did what they were supposed to after the trade deadline and tanked hard to make sure they maximized their chances of keeping their pick. Sometimes, luck doesn't go your way.

At the same time, the Pacers knew they were taking a big risk with the Zubac trade. Zu is obviously a quality starting center, and he will help Indiana be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference next season. Whether he is worth the No. 5 pick, another unprotected future first-rounder, and Mathurin is another question.

As important as Zubac was to the Clippers, Indiana's offer at the trade deadline was too good to turn down, specifically for this reason. Their 2026 first-rounder had too high an upside, and you never know where Indiana will be in the 2028-29 season, so there is a chance the Clippers get another lottery pick in 2029.

Small market teams like the Pacers have smaller margins for error. They have to take some risks to acquire high-end talent. Giving up so much for Zubac was a risk, and it backfired badly for the Pacers. For the Clippers, however, things couldn't have gone any better.

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