Kevin Pritchard isn't backing down. The Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations took to social media over the weekend to own the risk that cost his team the No. 5 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, but he made one thing crystal clear: he's not apologizing for the trade itself.

On Monday's Pat McAfee Show, Pritchard doubled down on the February deal that sent Ivica Zubac to Indiana, explaining that championship-caliber teams don't play it safe. The trade—which also brought forward Kobe Brown from the Clippers—cost the Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, center Isaiah Jackson, and three draft picks, including a conditional 2026 first-rounder that only would have stayed in Indiana if it landed in the top four. Instead, Sunday's lottery dropped the pick to No. 5, meaning it's headed to Los Angeles.

But for Pritchard, that's the price of ambition. "You have to take risks," he said, pointing to the aggressive moves that built the roster that just made a run to the 2025 NBA Finals. He highlighted the trades that brought in All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, plus the under-the-radar acquisition of Aaron Nesmith—all gambles that paid off. "A few years ago, we weren't taking enough risks," Pritchard explained. "We just felt like we had to do it."

For a franchise that hasn't won a championship since its ABA days, the message is clear: playing it safe won't cut it anymore. Whether that gamble ultimately pays off or costs them a cornerstone piece, Pritchard is standing by his playbook—and he's not sorry for trying to win.