At the NBA Trade Deadline the Pacers got a guy who they’ve been linked to for quite some time in Ivica Zubac. I think it’s fair to say that the Pacers have been in need of a Center of Zubac’s caliber for quite some time, but what we had to give up to get him (in my opinion) is cause for concern.
The Pacers haven’t had as many wins as we would like this year and prior to this transaction we controlled our own destiny by owning our own pick in this loaded 2026 NBA Draft Class. For the majority of the season while Haliburton had been recovering it was a foregone conclusion that we would likely receive a top 3 pick and add a potential superstar to Haliburton and Siakam for many years to come. To get Zu to Indiana (along with trading away Bennedict Mathurin) we had to trade our 2026 first round pick. There are some protections on that pick that favor us, but the NBA lottery system is just wild enough to make me worry.
The Pacers 2026 FRP that the Clippers now control is protected #1-4 and #10-30, meaning that it only conveys to the Clippers if it lands #5-9 after the Draft Lottery. That seems like great odds for us, but based on how the lottery operates, it is basically a coin flip. I ran 10 simulations on Tankathon to see where the Pacers pick would land and it stayed with us 5 times and went to the Clippers 5 times. As much as I like Zu as a player, and believe in what he could add to this offense once Haliburton does come back, the idea of potentially losing out on players like Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or Cam Boozer makes me physically ill.
I do trust this front office, however; they’ve made many masterful moves over the years. I do worry that this trade could end very poorly for us if the ping pong balls don’t bounce our way. I’m sure that we can recover no matter which hand we’re dealt, but I will be very nervous the remainder of the year because of this trade.
Round The Game 
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