The Los Angeles Clippers’ roster is changing significantly from what it was in early February.
After trading James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Clippers are set to send center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers just before Thursday’s deadline, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Pacers will send Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and one second-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for Zubac and Kobe Brown in a major trade.
Earlier in January, Zubac was mentioned as a possible target for the Pacers and the Boston Celtics, but the Pacers have secured the young center.
Zubac was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft. At the 2019 trade deadline, the Lakers traded Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers for Mike Muscala.
Ivica Zubac is a promising addition for the Pacers
Zubac has been with the Clippers since then and has become an important starter. Last season, he played and started in 80 of 82 games, averaging a career-high of 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. In the current season, Zubac has appeared in 43 games, averaging 14.4 points and 11 rebounds per game, turning 29 in March.
The Pacers, who were a year removed from the NBA Finals, have struggled this season after star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles tendon during Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As of Thursday, the Pacers have a 13-38 record, the lowest in the Eastern Conference, but acquiring Zubac is a strategic move for their future. The Clippers extended Zubac’s contract for three years at $58.6 million in August 2024, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.