The Indiana Pacers could be very aggressive this NBA offseason after Kevin Pritchard's latest comments.
Kevin Pritchard and the Indiana Pacers were hoping to head into the 2026 NBA Draft with a top four pick. Unfortunately, they won't have a single pick during the draft unless a trade is made to jump in.
Due to the Ivica Zubac trade, the Pacers only had a top-four protection on their first-round pick. That pick slide to No. 5, which sent it to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Now, Indiana will need to figure out how to proceed. Bringing in an elite young talent would have been an excellent and cheap way to improve the roster. After losing the pick, the front office will need to get creative.
With that being said, Pritchard spoke out after the lottery and indicated that he will have an aggressive approach to the offseason.
“We are in win-now, and we’re gonna try and make moves this summer,” Pritchard said. “Maybe around the edges, maybe big. But we’ll see about that.”
Pritchard also made it clear that he believes in the Pacers' organization. He stated that Indiana always "figures it out."
“I feel good in that Chad (Buchanan), and Ted (Wu), and our coaching staff, and our players. We’re an organization that figures it out.”
At this point in time, Indiana will need to either make a trade or bring in players via free agency. Either avenue should open up some good options.
That being said, the Pacers don't have a lot of financial flexibility to make a big move. Indiana would need to shed salary in order to spend it.
Losing out on the first-round pick was a devastating blow for the Pacers. There is no way around that fact. Indiana will struggle to make any kind of move that moves the needle without moving on from a current piece of the puzzle.
Instead, the Pacers will need to rely on development from within. Players like Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard will need to take the next step. Andrew Nembhard will need to continue improving as well.
Those things will be key to Indiana remaining an NBA Finals contender.
Of course, the Pacers will only go as far as Tyrese Haliburton can take them. If the superstar point guard isn't back to full health and playing like he did before the Achilles tear, Indiana is going to be in a lot of trouble.