In the high-stakes world of NBA trades, every decision carries weight—and sometimes, a tough choice is the only path forward. Pacers president Kevin Pritchard recently opened up about the February trade that sent a 2026 first-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for center Ivica Zubac, and why the pick protection couldn't be pushed any further.

"Everybody says, 'Why didn't you protect it a lot deeper?'" Pritchard explained after the NBA Draft Lottery. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to. That was the vig for us to get Zu."

The Pacers entered the lottery hoping to keep their pick, but when none of their combinations hit, they fell to No. 5—their highest draft position since taking Rik Smits at No. 2 in 1988. That means the pick now heads to Los Angeles, a tough pill to swallow for a franchise that rarely picks this high.

But Pritchard is clear: protecting the pick beyond the top four was never an option. "We fought like heck. They're very good negotiators. We would not have gotten Zu if we didn't protect it to 4. That's just it."

For a team eyeing a championship run, landing a starting-caliber center was Priority 1. "I felt like, for a championship team, we needed a starting center. They've earned the right to try to get a championship. That was not doable protecting this to 8 or 9 or 10 or wherever."

In a draft class that's deep overall but thin at the center position, Pritchard believes Zubac was the missing piece—and that sometimes, you can't have your cake and eat it too. For Pacers fans, it's a reminder that building a contender often means making the hard call, even when it costs a lottery pick.