Bill Simmons says Pacers are 'swimming in karma points' heading into NBA Draft lottery
The Indiana Pacers had two excellent seasons before a rough 2025-26. A couple of commentators see them quickly bouncing back.
The Indiana Pacers have a slightly better than 50% chance of getting a top-four NBA Draft pick. They also have a slightly less than 50% chance of not having a first-round pick. Even though their chances are a " Survivor "-style coin flip, Bill Simmons of The Ringer believes Indiana has accrued a "swimming pool of karma points" heading into the NBA Draft lottery on Sunday, May 10.
Simmons and " First Things First " co-host Nick Wright talked all things NBA on a recent Simmons podcast, ending the episode by comparing lottery teams and their "karma points. " They believe the Pacers have the most, though they can't cash them in for a guaranteed top-four pick. "They flip the coin, and if it comes up heads, they get a top-four pick.
And they get (Ivica) Zubac , and they get Tyrese Haliburton coming back," Simmons said. "(If that happens), they're probably going to be the No. 2 favorite in the East.
" Wright said that if there is an "acceptable reason" to throw away a season, Indiana had it, given that they reached Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2025 and the Eastern Conference Finals in '24. "We recalibrate it. We didn't tear it down.