The Indiana Pacers needed to trade for a center, and by acquiring Ivica Zubac, they did. Only problem, though, is that the way they did it was incredibly risky. Not only did they give up Bennedict Mathurin (which, while I understood the idea, I'm still a bit on the fence about whether it was the right call or not), but they traded their first-round pick for this year in the deal.
This year? In an NBA draft that most consider the most stacked one in recent years, with guys like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson all being potential franchise players? (And even if you miss out on all of them, you will probably still be happy to add Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff, or Keaton Wagler to your). It was a questionable decision, but at least not all is lost for Indiana.
If the pick lands between the 1-4 range, the Pacers keep it. If it falls in the 5-9 range, it goes to the Clippers. (It also stays with Indiana if it falls in the 10-30 range, but let's not kid ourselves here).
With only a couple of weeks left in the season, the Pacers, with a 16-57 record, own the worst record in the league. If they end the season at the bottom of the league standings, their pick is guaranteed to be a top-five selection. And, according to Tankathon.com, they currently have a 52.1% chance of the pick landing in the top four and a 14% chance of securing the No. 1 pick.
But that's the problem. It's a coin flip. No matter how poorly Indiana ends the season, there is still a legitimate chance it doesn't even reap the benefits of it. And that could be a disaster waiting to happen.
The Pacers trading their pick could come back to bite them
I will at least say this one thing: even if Indiana doesn't keep its pick, the team's future is still incredibly bright. They will get Tyrese Haliburton back next season. They still have a very talented roster. They still have an elite coaching staff and front office. And they are still in a mostly open Eastern Conference.
But there is a real chance for them to become a legitimate juggernaut, and it can only happen if they get their pick back and add one of the top prospects in the draft.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz wrote about how bad it could be for the Pacers if their pick ultimately ends up in Los Angeles' hands.
"The Indiana Pacers essentially agreed to flip a coin to see whether they get to keep their 2026 top-5 pick…on Ivica Zubac. This was a baffling trade, as the Pacers also agreed to part with a future unprotected first-round pick and Bennedict Mathurin, who's averaging nearly 20 points per game with the Los Angeles Clippers now," Swartz wrote.
"If the Pacers end this season with the worst record in the NBA and don't get to make a single selection in the 2026 draft, this could be a historically bad year for any franchise."
The Pacers were still right to trade for Ivica Zubac
To be clear, the Pacers needed to trade for Zubac. He was easily the best center on the market this season, and Indiana wasn't going to win a championship with Jay Huff as its starter. And to get something, you have to get something. I'm not going to knock the team for that.
But it's also fair to wonder if trading Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and a bunch of future draft picks (i.e., not this year's first-rounder when you know you're going to be among the worst teams in the league) would have been enough.
At the end of the day, we'll never know. But for the Pacers' sake, they better hope this decision doesn't cost them too much in the long run as they aim to re-establish themselves as a legitimate title contender.