Fortune wasn’t on the Indiana Pacers‘ side as they fell out of the top four in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. As a result, their first-round pick in 2026 has switched hands and landed in the City of Angels. The Los Angeles Clippers will select at No. 5 overall.
Indiana traded for Los Angeles‘ Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown on February. In return, the Pacers sent Bennedict Mathurin, center Isaiah Jackson, a conditional 2026 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 first-round pick.
The terms on the conditional first-round pick in 2026 meant that if the pick landed outside the top four, the pick would become Clippers’ property. That has now been confirmed, and LA will have a top five selection in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Clippers lose some, win some
Los Angeles avoided a worst-case scenario in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. The Clippers’ original first-round pick had been traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the blockbuster Paul George deal back in 2019. Now, every detail of that trade has finally been settled.
Ivica Zubac traded from Clippers to Pacers
The Thunder—who are just one win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals—will own the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft via Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the Clippers avoided disaster when the Pacers—who were tied for the best odds to land the No. 1 pick—fell outside the top four.
As a result, Los Angeles will indeed make a first-round selection in 2026, and it will be a very high one. That’s the beauty—and the ugliness, as fans in Indy will tell you—of the NBA Draft Lottery.
Top 5 picks in 2026
The Washington Wizards have become the first team with the league’s worst record to win the NBA Draft Lottery since the current format was implemented in 2019. As a result, the organization in Washington, D.C., will select first overall in 2026.
The Utah Jazz own the No. 2 pick, while the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls will select third and fourth, respectively. So close, yet so far. The Pacers watched their 19-63 record in the 2025–26 NBA season amount to nothing.
- 1st overall pick: Washington Wizards
- 2nd overall pick: Utah Jazz
- 3rd overall pick: Memphis Grizzlies
- 4th overall pick: Chicago Bulls
- 5th overall pick: Los Angeles Clippers (via Indiana Pacers)
