The Indiana Pacers were hoping for a top-4 pick. They wound up with nothing in the draft lottery

AI Summary

The Indiana Pacers faced disappointment after missing out on a top-four pick in the NBA draft lottery due to unfavorable results. The fifth pick will instead go to the Los Angeles Clippers, as part of a prior trade agreement, leaving the Pacers with little to celebrate following a challenging season.

The Indiana Pacers were hoping for a top-four selection in the NBA draft. The ping-pong balls of the NBA draft lottery came out in such a way Sunday that Indiana would have had the No. 5 pick in next month's draft — but that pick will instead go to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the trade that brought center Ivica Zubac to the Pacers earlier this year. Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard did nothing to hide how disappointed he was about the latest batch of bad luck for a franchise that played in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last season, lost star Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles tendon in that game — he missed this entire season — and has had nothing to celebrate since.