INDIANAPOLIS — Though Kevin Pritchard issued a statement on social media Sunday taking responsibility for the risk and making the trade that led to the Pacers’ losing their first-round draft pick, apologizing to the fanbase that it didn’t work out perfectly, he wanted to clarify that he wasn’t apologizing for the trade itself.
Pritchard, the Pacers’ president of basketball operations, appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday and continued to stand by the decision to make the trade with the Clippers for center Ivica Zubac in February. The Pacers also got forward Kobe Brown but sent Los Angeles guard Bennedict Mathurin, center Isaiah Jackson and three draft picks. That included a conditional trade of the Pacers’ 2026 first round selection, which the Pacers would have kept if they would have won one of the top four picks in the lottery. However, if the pick fell between selections 5-9 it was set to go to the Clippers, and that’s what happened in Sunday’s lottery as the Pacers ended up with pick No. 5.
However, Pritchard said at the time that was a risk he was willing to take. He said Monday that the Pacers need to take more risks than they used to if they want to win their first NBA championship. He noted that much of the roster that took the Pacers’ to the 2025 Finals was built on risks in the trade market, including deals that acquired All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, and stalwart forward Aaron Nesmith.
“It was a risk and we were willing to do it,” Pritchard said. “I couldn’t go through this year and think that we didn’t have that center, that final piece that could get us to a championship or competing in the East at the highest level. We just felt like we had to do it. … You have to take risks. A few years ago, we weren’t taking enough risks and making those Tyrese trades and Siakam trades and Aaron Nesmith. You have to take the appropriate risk in this business.”
Pritchard also noted that the trade market has become more important with the way the NBA’s salary cap system works because it gives teams a lot of leeway to go well over the cap to keep free agents but makes it difficult to bring in free agents from other teams. And with the draft bringing the inherent risk that comes with very young talent, the trade market is the best opportunity teams have to bring in known commodities.
“Free agency isn’t really free agency,” Pritchard said. “Teams re-sign and keep their best players. So now you have the draft or you have trades. Draft is risky business. It can be great business. There are drafts that are better. This draft looks like it’s going to be a terrific draft. But we couldn’t have done this trade if, last year, we didn’t trade our pick into this year (with New Orleans). We used that asset and we got Zu. Trading is the way you get players now and you have to take some shots. Hopefully this one works out.”
Even though Zubac played just five games with the Pacers after the trade between injuries, Pritchard has a lot of faith based on Zubac’s track record. Combining his games with the Pacers and Clippers, Zubac averaged a double-double for the second straight year, posting 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game and shooting just under 60% from the floor.
“We love Zu,” Pritchard said. “I mean, we love Zu. We love what he’s about. He’s tough. I remember seeing a game when we played the Clippers he had 30 points and 29 rebounds. He just kicked our butts. You want to get elite talent, but you also want to get true fits and he’s a true fit for us.”
Pritchard said that beyond Zubac as an individual, there’s also the value of simply having a solid starting five without a hole as Haliburton returns from his Achilles tendon tear and guard Andrew Nembhard, Nesmith and Siakam are all back from the Pacers 2025 postseason starting lineup. Zubac takes up the spot taken by Myles Turner, who left for the Bucks in free agency in July. They also have their two most reliable subs in forward Obi Toppin and point guard T.J. McConnell.
“So where do we stand today?” Prichard asked rhetorically. “Right? Like that’s the most important thing. Where do we stand today? We’ve got a starting five that we feel good about. We have a bench that’s improving. T.J. McConnell and Obi and (Jay) Huff and those guys have some serious experience now and we have (first round picks) in five of our next six drafts.”
Still, Pritchard knew it stung the fanbase not to get a top four pick and that, he said, was why he expressed empathy there.
“I’m not sorry about doing the trade,” Pritchard said. “I thought that was the right trade at the right time. What I felt for is Mr. (Herb) Simon. Thirty-seven years and not moving up once is just tough. And I think we were due a litte luck.”
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers’ Kevin Pritchard on losing 5th pick in draft: ‘You have to take risks’
Reporting by Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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