The Indiana Pacers’ trade for Ivica Zubac has been described as a gamble. The Pacers gave up a potential top pick in this year’s draft for a player who has never received an All-Star selection.
Mathurin’s Departure from Indiana
The standout player from the Pacers trade with the Clippers was forward Bennedict Mathurin. Drafted sixth overall in 2022 by Indiana, Mathurin was a key bench man in Indiana’s run to the 2025 NBA Finals. He scored 27 points in Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, ultimately becoming a fan favourite during his time in Indianapolis.
However, Mathurin’s looming long-term agreement created clear complications. With no future in the starting lineup given Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard‘s contributions, it made sense to trade Mathurin.
The Pacers also traded Isaiah Jackson. The Pacers decided that his on-court production, or lack thereof, was not enough to retain his spot in Pacer’s front court.
The Draft Picks Involved
The trade includes a 2026 first-round pick — which the Pacers protected from picks 1-4 and 10-30 — and a 2029 unprotected first-rounder. The 2026 pick will turn to an unprotected first in 2031 if it does not convey.
The point of contention of the trade has evidently been the picks the Pacers have potentially given up. However, when analysing the potential picks in this year’s draft, it is clear that Indiana took a calculated risk that will pay off.
High Praise for This Year’s Draft Class
The Athletic, CBS Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated all have their top three players in this year’s draft as AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson. Any three of which have the potential to be a franchise-altering pick.
Sam Vecenie, an NBA Draft scout for The Athletic, divides prospects in different tiers. Tier One describes players that have a strong potential for All-NBA honors, while Tier Two are players that have a strong likelihood of becoming an All-Star. Vecnie described this upcoming draft class as one of the most talented in recent memory.
“In the decade-plus that I’ve been scouting the NBA Draft, I’ve never had three players [Dybantsa, Boozer and Peterson] as Tier One prospects in a single class,” said Vecenie.
Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings, and Keaton Wagler have consistently been in the running to be the fourth wildcard outside of the top three. Vecnie described them as Tier Two players and said that he has “never had at least six Tier One and Tier Two players in a draft class.”
This essentially means that if the Pacers land any top four pick, they have ample talent to choose from — talent which would increase the depth of the Pacers and would impact the team from the get-go.
Finally, these picks are followed by Nate Ament, Mikel Brown Jr., Labaron Philon Jr., and Darius Acuff, who are projected to go within the five to ten range.
Despite their talent, the impact these players might have and what they bring to the table is seen as marginally