The Indiana Pacers won't have a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Sunday was a bad day for the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers lost their first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and star guard Tyrese Haliburton had the perfect reaction on social media.
The Pacers needed to land in the top four to keep their pick after trading it with protections to the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac. The trade sent two of Indiana's first-round picks to the Clippers: one in 2029 and either this year's first if it fell outside of the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.
Because the Washington Wizards moved up in the lottery, Indiana landed fifth, so the pick went to the Clippers instead.
"I'm really sorry to all our fans," Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard posted on X on Sunday. "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."
The Pacers had the league's second-worst record this season at 19-63. Haliburton missed the season recovering from his Achilles tear. He will return to the lineup next season, so Indiana will be a playoff team again, but it hurts that the franchise won't get one of the top college players.
Haliburton signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the Pacers in July 2023. Indiana acquired Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings in the Domantas Sabonis trade in February 2022. Haliburton is averaging 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in a Pacers uniform.
A two-time All-Star, Haliburton has played in 333 games with the Kings and Pacers. He has career averages of 17.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
Haliburton had a fantastic 2024-25 campaign for the Pacers. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game and made the All-NBA Third Team.
Indiana beat the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks to advance to the 2025 NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Pacers in the NBA Finals in seven games. Haliburton, of course, tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7.
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