Pacers exec issues stunning apology after NBA draft lottery ‘risk’ backfires

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“their team finished with the second-worst record”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results explicitly state that the Indiana Pacers finished the 2025-26 season with the second-worst record in the NBA.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 Indiana Pacers season was the 58th season of the franchise and the 49th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rick Carlisle returned for his eighth season as head coach. The…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_Indiana_Pacers_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2024–25 season and conclusion to the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series ended with the Western C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NBA_Finals

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Easter…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Pacers

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“the league hosted the NBA draft lottery and the Pacers saw their name called for the No. 5 pick”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm the Pacers' name was called for the No. 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2024–25 season and conclusion to the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series ended with the Western C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NBA_Finals

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Easter…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Pacers

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Knicks–Pacers rivalry is a basketball rivalry between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The rivalry started in 1977 and quickly became one of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knicks–Pacers_rivalry

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“the team traded that pick to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac and only made the pick top-four protected”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm the Pacers traded the pick to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac and that the pick was protected if it landed in the top four.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 NBA draft was the 78th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft. Unlike recent years, the 2024 draft took place over two nights. This was the first NBA draft to be held o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_NBA_draft

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NBA draft was the 79th edition of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual draft. Like the 2024 draft, this draft took place over two nights. The draft consisted of 59 picks as oppo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NBA_draft

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NBA draft will be the 80th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft. This also was the first draft since the 2021 NBA draft where the NBA draft would be 60 picks long ins…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NBA_draft

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“the Pacers (19-63)”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources explicitly state the Pacers finished the 2025-26 season with a 19-63 record.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2018–19 Indiana Pacers season was Indiana's 52nd season as a franchise and 43rd season in the NBA. The Pacers endured a major setback when their star player, Victor Oladipo, suffered a season-endi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018–19_Indiana_Pacers_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 Indiana Pacers season was the 58th season of the franchise and the 49th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rick Carlisle returned for his eighth season as head coach. The…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_Indiana_Pacers_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 Indiana Pacers season was the 59th season of the franchise and the 50th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team entered the season as the defending Eastern Conference…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_Indiana_Pacers_season

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“They started the day with a 52.1 percent chance at a top-four pick.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate sources mention the probability of a top-four pick, with one specifically citing 52.1% and another citing 52%.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 Indiana Pacers season was the 58th season of the franchise and the 49th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rick Carlisle returned for his eighth season as head coach. The…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_Indiana_Pacers_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Easter…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Pacers

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Pacers…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indiana_Pacers_seasons

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“Team president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard even took to social media to apologize on Sunday afternoon after the draft lottery.”

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Multiple sources report that Kevin Pritchard posted an apology on social media (X) following the lottery results.

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web search NEUTRAL — After the debacle, Pacers president Kevin Pritchard owned up to the situation with a post on social media, admitting that including the pick in the trade was a "risk." 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. Hali's P…
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25426675-pacers-presiden…

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web search NEUTRAL — Pacers. Our President of Basketball Operations, Kevin Pritchard, spoke with the media after today’s Draft Lottery in Chicago. pic.x.com/b0P1B3aIlU. Posted on X01:08. Utah Jazz.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…

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web search NEUTRAL — Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers' president of basketball operations since 2017, posted on X and apologized to his fanbase for the lost No. 5 pick. He also emphasized the Zubac acquisition, which should im…
https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/pacers-lose-no-5-pi…

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“they will have star Tyrese Haliburton back from a torn right Achilles after leading the team to the NBA Finals last season.”

CORROBORATED

Sources confirm Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles during the NBA Finals (Game 7) and is working toward a return for the 2026 season.

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web search NEUTRAL — The 2025 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's 2024–25 season and conclusion to the season's playoffs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NBA_Finals

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web search NEUTRAL — Tyrese Haliburton, sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon sustained during the NBA Finals, is expected to return in the 2026 season. While recovering, the Indiana Pacers star is exploring new hobbies, …
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/nba/top-stories/t…

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web search NEUTRAL — Haliburton's injury in the first quarter of Game 7 wrecked the Indiana Pacers' hopes of beating the Oklahoma City Thunder. He could miss all of next season, but tells fans he will "fight like hell" to…
https://www.olympics.com/en/news/unfathomable-frustration-ty…

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Pacers exec issues stunning apology after NBA draft lottery ‘risk’ backfires

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