On May 12, Indiana Pacers basketball operations president Kevin Pritchard spoke with the media, reflecting on the team’s recent draft lottery results and the costly trade that sent their first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Pacers landed the fifth overall pick in the lottery, which means they must surrender the selection to the Clippers as part of the agreement for acquiring Ivica Zubac. The pick was only top-four protected.
“We are disappointed, because this is a very strong draft class,” Pritchard said when asked about losing the pick. “People ask, ‘Why didn’t you set the protection higher?’ Unfortunately, we couldn’t — that was the price of getting Zubac.”
However, the Pacers executive made it clear he does not regret the move. “But I don’t regret making that trade. I think it was the right trade at the right time,” Pritchard added. 