Pacers Won't Get 2029 First Round Pick Returned as NBA Punishes Clippers

After a year-long investigation, the NBA laid the hammer down on the Los Angeles Clippers for violating the salary cap circumvention rules.

Here is a statement from NBA Communications regarding the situation:

"The NBA announced today that the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard have been penalized for violating the salary cap circumvention rules contained in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). This determination was based upon information developed through an independent investigation conducted by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz."

The Clippers have been fined $30 million, were stripped of five first-round draft picks in 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032, and 2033, and several people in their organization have been fined and suspended. Owner Steve Ballmer, President of Basketball Operations Lawerence Frank, and President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker were mentioned in the NBA's reporting.

In addition to those three individuals, Kawhi Leonard has been fined $700 thousand and his uncle Dennis Robertson has been suspended for five years.

The punishment is one of the largest in NBA history and really impacts the future of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Los Angeles Clippers to be Stripped of Indiana Pacers 2029 First-Round Pick

kawhi zu — Jan 5, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) celebrates with forward Kawhi Leonard (2) against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the news came out on Wednesday afternoon, Zach Lowe of The Ringer reported that one of the Clippers five picks that would be stripped is the pick they acquired from the Indiana Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade.

Emergency ZL Show coming later tonight, but one detail for now -- sources say that in 2029 the Clippers will be forfeiting the Indiana Pacers pick obtained via the Zubac trade, but that the pick will not be returned to the Pacers.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) September 2, 2026

This means that the Clippers will not be able to select a player in the 2029 NBA Draft with the pick the Pacers traded to them, and it does not mean that the pick goes back to Indiana. The pick has been traded and moved on, so now the pick will be obsolete

Although Indiana is still without a 2029 first-round pick, this makes the cost of acquiring Zubac (and Kobe Brown) less significant. In addition to losing the 2029 first-round pick, the Clippers let Bennedict Mathurin walk in free agency, as he signed a two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. He was considered a young piece that would be a part of their core moving forward after the trade was finalized in February, but the Clippers felt it was in their best interest to move on this offseason.

Seven months after the Zubac trade was made, all the Clippers have left on their roster is Isaiah Jackson and the No. 5 overall pick from the 2026 NBA Draft, Keaton Wagler. They also have a future second-round pick that was acquired in this deal with Indiana.

With the 2029 first-round pick going from a big 'what-if' to nonexistent, it feels like it cost Indiana less for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, even if it really didn't. Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan doubled down on their decision to make this move for Zubac after the NBA Draft Lottery, and although they still paid a heavy price for their new starting center, the blow has to soften knowing that the 2029 pick won't turn into anything.

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