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Clippers send Ivica Zubac to East team in blockbuster trade

Sandy Verma | February 6, 2026 10:24 AM CST

The Los Angeles Clippers roster will look much different from what it did at the start of February.

After trading James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Clippers have agreed to send center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers just before Thursday’s deadline, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Pacers are sending Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and one second-round pick to the Clippers for Zubac and Kobe Brown in a massive blockbuster deal.

In January, Zubac’s name was linked to the Pacers and Boston Celtics, but it is the Pacers who acquired the young center.

Zubac was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft. At the 2019 trade deadline, the Lakers sent Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers in exchange for Mike Muscala.

Ivica Zubac is promising add for Pacers

Zubac has been with the Clippers ever since and has become a valuable starter. Last season, Zubac played and started in 80 of 82 games, averaging a career-high 16.8 points with 12.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists. In 2025-26, Zubac has played in 43 games, averaging 14.4 points with 11 rebounds a game, and he turns 29 years old in March.

The Pacers are a year removed from the NBA Finals, but star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Indiana has not had any success this season.

The Pacers have a 13-38 record as of Thursday, which is the worst in the Eastern Conference, but adding Zubac is a smart move for the future. The Clippers gave Zubac a three-year, $58.6 million contract extension in August 2024, which means he is under contract through the 2027-28 season.