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Did you also think that your team was due a little bit of luck? Tyrese Haliburton: I mean, it was a coin toss. The way I’m looking at these last 12 months for me, dating back from June, I didn’t think we were really due any luck. It’s been a rough 12 months for me. I didn’t think KP had to apologize. They took a calculated risk, and I’m still rolling with the decision. I’m excited to add Zu to our crew, and I think we’re going to be really good alongside him. It’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes, but I’m still really excited about our group.
Draymond Green: “Listen, I think after making a trade like that, you’ve got to put out a statement like this. This is one of those save-my-ass statements. But I will say, tough luck, man. Very tough luck. You did get your starting center, but if that comes at the heels of a perennial All-Star, unless the Pacers go win a championship, this could be viewed as a top-five worst trade ever. Now, like he said, a little unlucky, but if it does not pan out the right way, this could go bad. And meanwhile, Lawrence Frank looks like a genius. Looks like a complete genius. But sometimes it’s the luck of the draw, and it just happens to go that way.”
Don't take my word for it. Pritchard said himself, later, that he views Zubac as his team's lottery pick (to an extent) when reflecting on the trade. "At the trade deadline, didn't know how structurally we were (going to be) able to get a top center. Then you might be just looking at free agency and using your cap. And we wouldn't have cap space. So it's a full mid level. And that guy usually isn't in the level of (Zubac)," he began before the kicker. "So (Zubac) is our lottery pick."
Kevin Pritchard: “But when we did this trade, we tried to figure out: if we didn’t get it, are we going to be okay? And we will be okay. We’ve got our top seven or eight coming back. We’ve got some free agency. This team deserves another chance to win it. “Game 7 was awful, but if Ty doesn’t go down, I think we win it. Maybe that’s blustery or whatever, but I really think we win it. “And we could have gotten to this point and had the pick, and still had a gaping hole at five. We couldn’t risk not getting a player like Zu. I didn’t want to risk that.
Kevin Pritchard: I'm really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember - this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.
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Alex Golden: Rick Carlisle will not be with the team the next two games and Loyd Pierce will be acting as Pacers head coach. Rick will be with his daughter Abby for a school event. Said Herb Simon and Kevin Pritchard gave him permission to do so.
Kevin Pritchard: Sometimes "tanking" can be misinterpreted by developing the younger players. We say the Gleague is a great place and it is...but there is nothing like true nba game speed. Thanks Rooster. Keep up the great work.
Sometimes "tanking" can be misinterpreted by developing the younger players. We say the Gleague is a great place and it is...but there is nothing like true nba game speed. Thanks Rooster. Keep up the great work.
— Kevin Pritchard (@PacersKev) February 17, 2026
I agree. Thanks D
— Kevin Pritchard (@PacersKev) February 17, 2026
Jake Fischer: Source: The first pick going to LAC is the Pacers' unprotected first-round pick in 2029. The other is the Pacers 2026 first-round pick, protected 1-4 and 10-30. So Clippers get 5-9, and if the pick falls outside of that range, it converts to the Pacers 2031 unprotected first. Caitlin Cooper: The draft lottery is going to be wild. Kevin Pritchard: Yes it is!!!!🍿🍿🍿
"From my understanding, behind the scenes, Rick Carlisle is one of the more active coaches in the league when it comes to influence over the roster," reports Jake Fischer. Kevin Pritchard and Chad Buchanan have long been entrenched in the front office of the Pacers predating Carlisle's arrival. "Carlisle is known around the league to have as formidable of a finger on the Pacers' roster construction and overall talent evaluation—just roster construction and player scouting and draft evaluations," added Fischer.
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“Since his return to the Pacers in 2021, Coach Carlisle has been integral to our success, which includes leading us to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances and our first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years,” said President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “Beyond his coaching achievements that rank him among the best in NBA history, Coach Carlisle continues to embrace our community and give back to the state of Indiana with his Drive and Dish program. We are thrilled to have him continue leading our team and representing our organization well into the future.”
But an interesting name to watch is Kevin Pritchard, the long-time Indiana Pacers president who led the club to the NBA Finals this past June and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024. One league insider suggested to me that the Pacers executive is MLSE’s preferred choice, although lateral moves when executives are under contract with other teams are often harder to execute than when there is a promotion.
Tony East: Rick Carlisle, Jenny Boucek, Lloyd Pierce, Chad Buchanan, Ted Wu, and Kevin Pritchard all here for Pacers-Cavs. Much of the rest of the staff, too.
Team president Kevin Pritchard suggested that the team, and ownership, were more than willing to go into the luxury tax to keep Turner, although he walked, and they didn't find out until the news was initially broken by ESPN. Rick Carlsile took the high road, not blaming Turner but rather the environment created by fierce negotiations. "I think what probably happened, and this is part of negotiation in any sport, a team will say, hey, look, we have this offer, it's this much over this many years. But if we make this offer, we need to know that you're gonna take it and not shop it," explained Carlisle on the Green Light podcast. "I believe that's what probably happened with Milwaukee. They just jumped at it, and there was never, there's never a chance to counter. Those things happen. And when they do, you just gotta keep going."