RealGM Basketball Wiretap

10 June 2026

• Kevin Pritchard Apologizes To Fans After Pacers Lose First Round Pick

  Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard apologized to Pacers fans after his team lost their 2026 first-round pick to the LA Clippers. When the Pacers pick moved back from No. 2 to No. 5, the pick conveyed to the Clippers. Indiana had traded this pick with top-four protections as a part of the trade deadline deal that brought Ivica Zubac to the Pacers.

  Pritchard wrote on X:

  "I'm really sorry to all our fans. 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."

  By conveying the pick to LA this year, Indiana will retain their 2031 first-round pick. Pacers GM Chad Buchanan recently said that freeing up that pick would allow Indiana great trade flexibility with future first-round picks. In addition, the Pacers are now slightly under the luxury tax to start next offseason. Had they retained their pick in the 1-4 range, Indiana would have been over the first apron to begin the summer.

• 2026 NBA Draft Lottery: Wizards At No. 1, Ahead Of Jazz, Grizzlies, Bulls

  The Washington Wizards, who had the best odds at 14 percent, have won the lottery and the No. 1 overall pick. The Utah Jazz will hold the No. 2 pick ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3 and the Chicago Bulls at No. 4.

  The Indiana Pacers were fifth and must convey their selection to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade at the deadline.

  The top four picks are expected to be some combination of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. The 2026 draft has also became touted for its depth, especially at guard with the likes of Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, Mikel Brown Jr. and Brayden Burries.

  Out of all the teams in the lottery, the Jazz were most tightly connected to Dybantsa who has surpassed Peterson on many teams draft boards. But the Wizards will dictate how the draft plays out as they have a challenging decision to make at No. 1. The Wizards made a pair of trades for veteran All-Stars this season in Trae Young and then Anthony Davis.

  The Wizards previously won the lottery in 2001 (Kwame Brown) and 2010 (John Wall). The Jazz had never previously moved up in the draft lottery.

  2026 NBA Draft Lottery Results

  1. Washington Wizards
  2. Utah Jazz
  3. Memphis Grizzlies
  4. Chicago Bulls
  5. Los Angeles Clippers (via Indiana Pacers)
  6. Brooklyn Nets
  7. Sacramento Kings
  8. Atlanta Hawks
  9. Dallas Mavericks
  10. Milwaukee Bucks
  11. Golden State Warriors
  12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers)
  13. Miami Heat
  14. Charlotte Hornets

• Pacers Hopeful Of Retaining Draft Pick But Don't Regret Ivica Zubac Trade

  The Indiana Pacers have a lot on the line in Sunday's 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. If the Pacers pick falls between No. 1 and No. 4, they'll keep their pick. If that pick falls at No. 5 or No. 6 the pick will go to the LA Clippers. If Indiana doesn't convey the pick in this year's draft, LA will instead receive an unprotected first-round pick in 2031.

  The No. 6 pick is the furthest Indiana can fall in the lottery, as they're starting from the No. 2 spot. The Pacers have never won the lottery in franchise history, with the highest pick they've made being No. 2 overall in 1988 when they drafted Rik Smits.

  Pacers GM Chad Buchanan said the team recognized the risk at the time of the trade.

  "When we made the trade, obviously we knew there was risk involved as there is in any other trade," Buchanan said in a recent radio interview. "With the draft pick involved, we looked at the finances of the situation and the scenario where you keep the pick, the scenario where you lose the pick. We felt that both scenarios provided opportunities to help our team be better next year."

  Indiana's GM said that the team intends to be back to being a contender next season, assuming better health. Buchanan views Zubac as a big part of the Pacers climbing back up the standings.

  "The core of this comes down to Ivica is a great player," Buchanan said. "We've been a big believer, a big fan of him for a long time. This team has shown that it's capable of doing some really special things. We were missing a starting center that we thought could keep us in that mix. We owed it to this group and these fans and our community to put us in position to try and do and replicate some of the things we've seen these last two years from this team."

  Buchanan said a particular need for Indiana is scoring off the bench. He added that with or without the 2026 first-round pick, the Pacers can add talent to their roster.

  "Should we lose the pick, there's other opportunities to improve our team through free agency," Buchanan said. "We still have trades. We gain a pick that we can use in the future for a trade. We feel like there's a way to improve our team either way with the ping-pong balls, however they fall for us. We're not putting all our eggs into one basket that, 'Hey, if we don't keep this pick, it's doom and gloom,' because it's not."

• Warriors Discussed Ivica Zubac Trade With Clippers

  The Golden State Warriors were one of the teams that discussed an Ivica Zubac trade with the Los Angeles Clippers before he was eventually traded to the Indiana Pacers.

  The Pacers acquired Zubac from the Clippers for Bennedict Mathurin, a top-4 protected 2026 draft pick and a 2029 unprotected first rounder.

  Zubac is signed through the 2027-28 season with his three-year, $58.6 million extension signed in 2024.

  The Warriors also discussed a trade with the Clippers for Kawhi Leonard.

• Nuggets, Pacers To Play Regular-Season Game In Mexico City On November 7

  The Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers will play a regular-season game in Mexico City on November 7, the NBA announced on Thursday.

  "Hosting the 35th game in the country reflects the depth of the NBA's relationship with Mexico and the role this event plays in bringing the global game closer to fans locally, throughout Latin America, and around the world," said Raul Zarraga, senior vice president of NBA Latin America.

  Other than the U.S. and Canada, no country has hosted more NBA games than Mexico City.

  The league is also set to play regular-season games in Paris and Manchester next season.

• Tyrese Haliburton Dealing With Shingles

  Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was feeling good with his return from the torn Achilles' tendon he suffered in last year's NBA Finals. Unfortunately, Haliburton is now battling a case of shingles, which has caused him pain, itching and to gain weight.

  "I couldn't even go in front of a camera if I wanted to early, because my eye was basically closed shut," Haliburton said. "It was all over my face."

  The Pacers star said that the medication he's used to deal with the symptoms has caused him to gain weight. Haliburton also detailed other impacts he's dealt with as a result of the illness.

  "I've lost part of my eyebrow; my eye is always swollen from itching it," Haliburton said. "I have good days and bad days, but for the most part it's bad days. So, it has not been any fun."

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