Pacers GM Explains Why (Possibly) Trading 2026 Pick for Zubac Made Sense

A few weeks after the Indiana Pacers’ season ended with a franchise worst 63rd loss to the Detroit Pistons, Pacers General Manager Chad Buchanan joined The Ride with JMV to discuss the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery, and more importantly, the thought process behind one of the franchise’s most aggressive recent moves.

“I think when we made the trade, obviously we knew there was a risk involved. With the draft pick involved, we looked at the finances of the situation and the scenario where you keep the pick, and the scenario where you lose the pick, and we felt both scenarios provided opportunities to help our team be better next year.”

That answer from Buchanan got me thinking about two simple questions, do the Pacers actually get better next season because of this move, and would they have been better off just keeping their pick?

Mar 15, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) looks for a shot against Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

From a short term standpoint, the answer feels pretty obvious. Indiana addressed its biggest need by acquiring a starting center in Ivica Zubac, filling the hole left by Myles Turner. For a team that believes it is in the championship mix, that kind of move matters.

The long term outlook is where things get more interesting.

If the Pacers had held onto their 2026 pick, they likely would have added a top six talent to a roster that already has a lot of upside. That player might not have helped as much right away, but could have turned into a long term building block. Instead, Indiana chose the proven player over the unknown.

So the real question becomes, was Zubac worth the price?

Buchanan didn’t hesitate: “Ivica is a great player. We have been a big believer, and a big fan of him for a long time. This team has shown that it is capable of doing some really special things, and we were missing a starting center that we felt could keep us in that championship mix. We owe it to this group, these fans, and our community to put us in a position to try and replicate some of the things we have seen from this team the last two years.”

You can feel the confidence in that quote. The Pacers believe their window is right now.

We really didn’t get to see much of Zubac in a Pacers uniform, and even when we did, it wasn’t with the group he will be playing the majority of his minutes with next season. But internally, it’s clear they believe he’s the missing piece to elevate this team.

Still, the price is what makes this move tough to fully evaluate.

Indiana gave up two first round picks, along with former first round players Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, to make the deal happen. That’s a lot to give up for a player who hasn’t made an All Star team, and it shows just how aggressive this front office was willing to be.

But that aggression tells you everything about how they view this team.

At the end of the day, this move is about going for it. It’s about not sitting back and waiting for the perfect moment that might never come.

Pacers GM — Pacers President of Basketball Operations, General Manager, and Owner observe game | Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Buchanan on Winning Now versus Building for the Future

“Ultimately, we feel like our team right now is at the point where we want to be in the race. We do not want to stay on the sidelines and watch teams go for a trophy while we observe. We feel like we have a team that has shown us over the last two years that we are in that mix when we are healthy. And shame on us if we do not try to help put this team in position to have another couple of runs at it. If we are always thinking long, long, long term, you never step up to the plate and swing. And we felt like this was a chance for us to improve.”

That right there tells you everything you need to know about how this front office is thinking. They are willing to take a risk. They are willing to sacrifice some future flexibility if it means giving this group a real shot at winning a title.

You might not love that approach, especially if you’re high on this draft class. But it’s hard to ignore how close this team was to winning a championship just one season ago.

Ideally, Indiana would love to have both, the future and the present. In this case, they chose the present. They bet on a proven player in Zubac instead of rolling the dice on a draft pick.

It’s not the safest move, but it’s a clear one.

For years, Pacers fans have wanted this front office to be aggressive, to push the chips in and go for it. Now, with a two year window in front of them, they’ve done exactly that.

Whether it works or not, we’ll find out soon enough. But one thing is clear, the Pacers are done waiting.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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