The Indiana Pacers are actively evaluating prospects ahead of the June 23-24 NBA Draft, hosting pre-draft workouts despite holding zero selections in the upcoming cycle. The franchise finished the 2025-26 season with a 19-63 record, but a lottery draw earlier this month dropped them to the No. 5 overall spot, forcing their top-four protected pick to automatically convey to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Indiana is now one of only two teams in the league, alongside the Portland Trail Blazers, left entirely without draft capital this summer. The front office is using these workout sessions to identify high-value undrafted free agents and potential roster additions for their G League affiliate.
The asset deficit is the result of an aggressive mid-season roster overhaul. President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard traded Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and a package of picks to Los Angeles in February in exchange for center Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown following the free-agency departure of Myles Turner. The mechanical trade protections dictated that falling to No. 5 instantly transferred the pick to the Clippers, according to a report detailing the franchise’s lottery history.
The Clippers now unexpectedly hold a top-five selection in a prospect pool featuring players like AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer. Indiana must operate the scouting cycle entirely on the margins. Losing the 2026 pick did trigger a secondary trade clause, allowing the Pacers to keep their 2031 first-rounder. The franchise has not drafted in the top five since selecting Rik Smits at No. 2 overall in 1988, extending the longest drought of any top odds-holder since the lottery began.