Breaking: Pacers land Ivica Zubac in deadline-day deal
I can confirm the Pacers are acquiring starting center Ivica Zubac from the Clippers, with terms being finalized. This is a bold, win-now play by Indiana on deadline day. It gives Tyrese Haliburton a powerful screen-and-dive partner. It gives the East another contender with real size at the rim.
Trade completion is pending standard league approval and physicals.
Zubac is 7 feet tall, with broad shoulders and a steady base. He is 29, born and developed in Croatia, and he never played college ball. The Lakers drafted him in 2016. The Clippers traded for him in 2019 and he earned a long run as their starting 5. He does the dirty work, and he does it well. He screens, rolls, protects the rim, and rebounds. He plays through contact and shows up every night.
Why Indiana moved now
The Pacers score in waves. They play fast and they spread you out. Haliburton is the engine, and he loves clean angles. Zubac creates those angles. His screens are loud, the kind that free shooters and force switches. When he dives, defenders sink. That pull opens corner threes and easy lobs. Indiana has pace and spacing already. Now it adds power.
Defensively, this is about playoff basketball. Possessions slow down. You must protect the paint and end plays with one rebound. Zubac boxes out, walls the rim, and keeps guards clean. He is not flashy. He is firm. Indiana has needed that foundation when the game gets heavy.
Haliburton plus Zubac means simple reads, quick lobs, and hard rolls that bend help. Expect early two-man chemistry.
Fit and on-court impact
Offense
Zubac gives Indiana a reliable target at the rim. He catches and finishes with soft hands. He does not force touches. He understands timing. He lives in the dunker spot and lifts when Haliburton drives. Miss a rotation and it is a layup. Help too deep and the pass sprays to shooters. That balance is how this offense climbs a level.
The Pacers also gain second chances. Zubac is a strong offensive rebounder. Tip outs. Putbacks. Little plays that steal points in May.
Defense
This is where the upgrade matters most. Zubac can play drop and still contest. He takes space, shows length, and recovers to the glass. Guards will feel him at the nail. Wings will think twice at the rim. He communicates and anchors a shell that has needed more voice.
Here is what he brings right away:
- Strong screens that create clean lanes
- Reliable rim protection without fouling
- Better defensive rebounding and box outs
- A steady, durable presence in the middle
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Rotation ripple effects
Indiana has choices now. They can start big, bully the glass, and lean into paint touches. They can stagger, keeping a true rim threat with Haliburton for most of the night. The second unit gains structure, because a center like Zubac makes actions simple. Guards come off him and read. Shooters know they will be open on time.
One more piece matters. Zubac does not need the ball. That helps late-game clarity. Haliburton can control, wings can space, and the big can clean up. In a seven game series, that simplicity wins.
If the Pacers want to go small at times, they still can. This move does not remove that tool. It just gives them a stronger base to return to when the game gets muddy.
What it signals for the Clippers
This is a pivot. Zubac has been the Clippers’ defensive anchor for years. Moving him tells us they are changing shape. They can chase more switchable lineups and five out spacing. They can hunt speed, skill, and flexibility. It may also signal asset building for another move, whether now or in the summer.
Ty Lue has coached plenty of small groups. Expect more spread pick and roll, more switching, and more minutes where the center spot is shared by wings. The Clippers will try to outrun and outshoot, then scrap on defense by committee. They can still add a stopgap big on the buyout market. But their identity today tilts toward skill and pace.
What comes next
Paperwork, physicals, and logistics come first. Then the ramp up. Zubac is in shape and ready. The playbook is simple for him at the start. Set a screen, roll hard, protect the rim, own the glass. The rest will grow as the reps stack up.
The Pacers just added a playoff piece that meets a real need. A sturdy middle. A sure pair of hands. A partner for their star guard. The Clippers, meanwhile, chose a new path. They traded security for flexibility, and that story is still being written.
Final word, this is a fit that makes basketball sense. Indiana gets force in the paint without losing flow. Los Angeles gets room to redefine itself. Deadline day delivered, and both teams now move with purpose.
