Lottery Luck Or Not, Indiana Pacers Have Roster Needs To Address

BusinessSportsMoneyLottery Luck Or Not, Indiana Pacers Have Roster Needs To AddressByTony East,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Tony East is an Indiana-based writer who covers the Pacers and Fever.Follow AuthorMay 08, 2026, 05:53pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 10: Jarace Walker #5 of the Indiana Pacers fouls DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings on a shot with Jay Huff #32 of the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center on March 10, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Kelley L Cox/Getty Images)Getty ImagesINDIANAPOLIS – Just two days stand between the Indiana Pacers and their offseason-defining date. May 10 is the 2026 NBA Draft lottery, and the Pacers have a 52.1% chance of keeping their first-round draft pick.If the lottery places the Pacers top selection inside the first four slots, Indiana will keep that draft pick. If it falls to fifth or sixth, the only other possible outcomes, it will be sent to the Los Angeles Clippers as a part of the trade that netted the Pacers center Ivica Zubac.“We were trying to protect our upside at the top of the draft mostly,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said of the trade and draft pick protections in February. The Pacers would also have kept the first rounder if it landed between 10 and 30, but that became irrelevant after the Pacers ended the season poorly.Now, the team has roughly a coin flip chance to hang on to their high draft selection this season. They have an offseason plan for any draft lottery outcome, but a top pick would be preferred. Any direction the Pacers go this summer will be determined by their lottery fate.Buchanan had much more to say about the Pacers offseason during a recent interview on The Ride with JMV on 107.5 The Fan in Indianapolis. “When we made the trade, we knew there was risk involved just as...