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Pacers benefiting from unexpectedly lucky bounce that eases the pain of lost season

The Pacers are struggling, but they are on pace to land a top-three draft pick, which could help them in the long run.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle during a game against the Phoenix Suns. | Chris Coduto/GettyImages

If the Indiana Pacers were going to be terrible, they sure got lucky in terms of which season it happened.

The 2026 NBA Draft is widely regarded as one of the most star-studded in recent memory, headlined by three potential stars. Duke's Cameron Boozer, BYU's AJ Dybantsa, and Kansas' Darryn Peterson all look like they could be great NBA players, and the Pacers would certainly be happy with any of them on the roster

Plus, with a potential top-four pick, the Pacers could find a transformative talent to join promising up-and-comers, especially guys like Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard.