Pacers Learn Draft‑Lottery Outcome Sunday
INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA Draft Lottery, a consequential drawing for the Indiana Pacers, is Sunday afternoon in Chicago.
Indiana, Brooklyn, and Washington all have a 14% chance of winning the first pick. While Indiana carries a 52.1% chance of landing a top-four selection, they also face the constraints of a midseason trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. If the lottery results push the Pacers’ pick outside of those top four spots, the selection will convey to the Clippers as part of the agreement that brought center Ivica Zubac and guard Kobe Brown to Indianapolis.
Indiana could add a franchise-changing player in BYU’s AJ Dybansta, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer or North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, the consensus top-four picks in this year’s draft.
Regardless of the lottery outcome, the Pacers enter the 2026 season with a formidable core of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Zubac, and supported by bench players, featuring TJ McConnell, Ben Sheppard, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker.
If things go well, they will add a dynamic young playmaker; if the pick goes to Los Angeles, the Pacers will likely pivot to free agency or a trade to bolster their depth ahead of the NBA Draft, which is set for June 23 and 24.
