The Pacers remain on the lookout for a long-term answer at the starting center position and are among the suitors for Clippers big man Ivica Zubac, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), who reports that L.A. continues to receive calls on the 28-year-old.
There was some trade speculation about Zubac early in the season when the Clippers got off to a 6-21 start. Those rumblings had died down as the team reeled off 17 victories in its next 21 games to get back in the postseason race, but in the wake of the deal sending James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland, there may be a sense that L.A. is more open to discussing some of its veteran players.
The Clippers would set a high asking price for Zubac, who is coming off a career year in which he averaged 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, finished as the Most Improved Player runner-up, made the All-Defensive second team, and placed sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
While he may not receive the same kind of award consideration this season for the sub-.500 Clippers, Zubac has once again been a valuable anchor at the five, averaging 14.4 PPG and 11.0 RPG on 61.3% shooting through 43 games. He also has a team-friendly contract that includes an $18.1MM cap hit this season, with guaranteed salaries of $19.6MM and $21MM to follow.
That contract structure would appeal to the Pacers, who would ideally like to add a starting center whose salary is in that range, like Myles Turner‘s was before he left for Milwaukee in free agency last summer. Indiana already has $177MM on its books for next season, including maximum salaries for Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, and isn’t in position to bring in a center with a massive cap hit.
Whether the Pacers are willing to make the sort of offer that might entice the Clippers remains to be seen. However, the team does control all of its first-round picks and could offer promising restricted-free-agent-to-be Bennedict Mathurin as part of a package. Forwards Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker are among Indiana’s other potential trade candidates.
The Celtics and Hornets were also linked to Zubac earlier this winter.