For the first time since the Indiana Pacers lost their 2026 NBA Draft pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan publicly addressed the lottery fallout and where the franchise goes from here during an appearance with JMV on 107.5 The Fan .

Buchanan is currently at the NBA Draft Combine evaluating the 2026 NBA Draft class alongside Kevin Pritchard, Ted Wu, and other scouts from the organization.

This is an important event to attend, with or without a first- or second-round pick, because every NBA executive is present, along with player agents and league officials.

It’s the perfect opportunity to gauge the market, evaluate what’s available, and determine who might be interested in joining your team.

When discussing how the Pacers can retool their roster this offseason without a draft pick, Buchanan shared an optimistic tidbit from the NBA Draft Combine:

“A big part of the pre-draft camp here in Chicago this week is meeting with agents and talking about interest in our team and…