Indiana
Indiana Pacers Slide as 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Odds Rise
The Indiana Pacers are making a real argument to be the worst team in the NBA this season.
The Pacers could become the first team in the Eastern Conference to reach 50 losses this season if they don’t beat the Sacramento Kings tomorrow night. Power rankings across the internet have the Pacers and Kings as the bottom two teams in the league.
NBA.com, John Schuhmann (30, no change)
“With the Jazz beating the Wizards on Thursday and the Nets’ incredible comeback in Detroit over the weekend, the Pacers are the only team without a win (they’re 0-9) since the All-Star break. Seven of those nine losses have come against other teams with losing records,” Schuhmann wrote.
“The Pacers and Kings are now tied for the fewest wins (15), and they’ll meet for the second (and final) time on Tuesday, with the Pacers having won the first meeting (Dec. 8) behind 28 points and 12 assists from Nembhard. That’s the end of the Pacers’ four-game trip, and they’ll then return home and begin their only stretch of five games in seven days.”
The Athletic, Law Murray (30, no change)
“The Pacers are the only team in the league without a win since the All-Star break, so they’re comfortably nestled at the bottom of these rankings. Indiana was only regular bad for the third quarter of the season overall, though the interior defense has been slammed like brakes,” Murray wrote.
“If they don’t win Tuesday in Sacramento in the Tyrese Haliburton trade bowl, then they’ll have to go and upset a team that is trying to secure wins for the rest of the March schedule.”
Clutch Points, Brett Siegel (29, down 1)
“As soon as Tyrese Haliburton went down with his Achilles injury, everyone knew that the Indiana Pacers would be taking a step back. The decision for this to be a gap year and completely tank was made after several impactful players, like Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard, all went down with injuries,” Siegel wrote.
“After all, a team that found success through its depth is nothing when all of its key talents are injured.
“The Pacers own the second-worst record in the NBA right now, giving them a real shot at getting the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Remember, Indiana will keep their selection this season if it falls inside the top four, which have a 52.1 percent chance of happening.”
Overview
It’s hard to argue the Pacers not being in this position because they’ve only won 15 games so far this season. On top of that, their last victory came on February 11, which was the final game before the All-Star break.
This isn’t exactly a bad thing for the Pacers, however, because they need that first-round pick to return to them in the draft. If they get the wrong shake in the lottery, the Pacers could be forced to give up their first-round pick in this year’s draft to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade.
The Pacers should use the rest of the season to figure out who fits in their system and develop their young players in hopes of some of them cracking the rotation for next season and beyond.
Indiana
‘Foul play’ suspected in death investigation on Indiana-Ohio state line, Wayne County officials say
WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating the death of a person who died in the emergency department of Reid Health in Richmond.
Wayne County Coroner Brent Meadows was notified of the death Wednesday evening, according to a media release. Evidence has reportedly indicated that foul play is involved.
Officials believe the incident may have occurred in the area of the Petro Travel Center in New Paris, Ohio, just across the Indiana-Ohio state line.
The coroner’s office said the deceased person has been transported to the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, for a forensic autopsy and identification.
The office is still working the locate and identify the victim’s family.
This remains an active investigation.
News 8’s Michaela Springer contributed to this report.
Braden Smith spent four seasons with Purdue basketball proving all the power conference programs who overlooked him missed out.
Now the former Boilermaker point guard has a chance to do the same in the NBA.
Smith, a Westfield native, is headed to the Pacers after Indiana traded for him when the Chicago Bulls selected him with the 38th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a source confirmed to IndyStar.
Smith is Purdue’s third draft pick in five years, joining lottery picks Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey among a group of now 11 NBA draft selections to play at Purdue under Matt Painter.
Here’s a look at Smith’s Purdue career and what he brings to the Pacers.
Before capping a career that includes two Big Ten regular season and two Big Ten Tournament championships, along with helping Purdue end a 44-year Final Four drought, Smith broke former Duke guard Bobby Hurley’s all-time NCAA assists record.
Along the way, Smith took home the 2025 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard in a season where he also was the Big Ten Player of the Year. A two-time consensus first-team All-American, Smith finished his Purdue career eighth in career points (1,932), third in steals (249) and has the top three assist seasons in school history that helped add to his NCAA record total of 1,103.
Smith’s knock is his 5-foot-10 1/2 height measurement, but that didn’t deter him from being one of college basketball’s top players.
What Smith lacked in height, he made up for in basketball IQ. He’s lethal with a midrange jump shot and showcased an unblockable fadeaway that allowed him to shoot over lengthier defenders. He mastered manipulating defenses while playing with marquee big men the last four seasons.
His role in the NBA likely will be not require him to be the team’s primary playmaker immediately. Smith’s awareness of that fact pushed a more defensive-minded approach in preparation for the next level. At the NBA Draft Combine in May, Smith showed he’s capable of defending elite guards.
Smith is an elite competitor who never showed to shy away from the dirty work, which is something that can help him earn NBA minutes as a rookie while trying to find his footing in an unfamiliar backup role.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter.
The body of a 13-year-old boy was recovered from Lake Michigan during a multiple-day search near a beach in Michigan City, Indiana.
Officials did not provide further details.
A search has been underway since Monday night after witnesses reported seeing a child wearing red shorts enter the water.
Michigan City police said officers responded to a possible drowning just before 5:40 p.m. on Monday near Washington Park Beach.
Police said the child disappeared underwater just south of the lighthouse and did not resurface.
A search was initiated with dive efforts, a fishing boat, drone technology, and a medical helicopter deployed.
The Michigan City Fire Department said three divers suffered minor injuries during the search and are being treated at Franciscan Health. Fire officials said divers encountered “challenging water conditions” before the search was suspended.
Officials have not identified the body recovered.
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