Despite a dreadful season, the Pacers had a great opportunity this year. After a run to the NBA Finals in 2025, Indiana missed Tyrese Haliburton all season after he suffered a torn Achilles in the Game 7 loss to the Thunder. Without its star player, Indiana was forced to look toward the future and plan for a return to contention in the Eastern Conference once Haliburton could return in 2026–27. A 19–63 record gave the Pacers as good a shot as any team to pick at the top of the draft and add a young star to the roster alongside Haliburton. Due to a chance the franchise took at the trade deadline, though, the ping pong balls had to fall their way in the NBA draft lottery to even keep this year’s coveted pick. At the February trade deadline, Indiana traded for Clippers star big man Ivica Zubac and sent out a package of Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and a one second-rounder. The first of the two first-round picks is for the 2026 draft and was protected on picks 1–4 and 10–30.…