After trading James Harden to the Cavaliers earlier this week, the Clippers have continued their rebuild around Kawhi Leonard by trading star center Ivica Zubac to the Pacers, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.
Los Angeles receives 23-year-old wing Bennedict Mathurin, 24-year-old forward Isaiah Jackson, a pair of first-round picks and a second-rounder in return. The first of the picks, a 2026 first-rounder, includes protections on picks 1–4 and 10–30; if the pick doesn’t vest this season, it will become an unprotected first-round pick in 2031. The Clippers will also receive a 2029 unprotected first-round pick, Charania reports.
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Zubac was ruled out of Wednesday night's loss to Cleveland due to personal reasons. It was not trade related, as Zubac and his wife welcomed a child on Tuesday.
However, trade rumors around Zubac intensified after the Clippers traded Harden away ahead of the deadline. The 28-year-old is in his 10th NBA season, and is averaging 14.4 points and 11 rebounds this season on 61.3% shooting.
Zubac fills a void at center for the Pacers, who saw Myles Turner leave in free agency after making a run at the NBA title last season. With All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton rehabbing from a torn Achilles, the Pacers are taking a gap year, as they're 13–38 on the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Clippers Trade Star Center Ivica Zubac to Pacers.
