The Clippers are trading center Ivica Zubac, the team’s longest tenured active player and cornerstone to their offense, to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday in an unexpected move an hour before the NBA trade deadline.
The trade includes forward Kobe Brown, a third-year player, in return for wing Bennedict Mathurin, center Isaiah Jackson and a heavily protected 2026 first-round draft pick (protected 1-4 and 10-30) and a 2029 unprotected first-rounder, plus one second-round pick.
The deal giving the Clippers an infusion of youth, athleticism and draft capital to rebuild around star forward Kawhi Leonard and newly acquired point guard Darius Garland. If the 2026 first-round pick does not convey, it converts to an unprotected first in 2031.
Mathurin’s career-high 17.8 points and 4.6 rebounds this season will add to the team’s depth on the wing. The 23-year-old small forward/shooting guard is a talented scorer and was a key part of the Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals last spring, shooting 45.9% from the field and 30% from 3-point range.
He saw more playing time after Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles and has averaged 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists while making significant defensive strides in 28 games this season. Mathurin recently returned from toe and thumb injuries that kept him out for most of January, and he’s been increasingly rounding into form.
Mathurin can become a restricted free agent this summer and it was unclear whether the Pacers could afford to re-sign their first-round draft pick from 2022.
The 24-year-old Jackson, at 6-8, is expected to compete with Brook Lopez for minutes at the center position. Like Mathurin, Jackson also was a first-round draft pick in 2021 (No. 8 overall). He had spent his entire career with the Pacers, averaging 7.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 blocked shots while shooting 59.3% from the field as a backup behind Myles Turner.
He continues to display a high level of energy and athleticism after a torn Achilles that he suffered in 2024, but the Pacers (13-38) reportedly were looking to upgrade at center, opening the door for Zubac.
Zubac was a 7-footer with raw talent when he came to the Clippers from the Lakers in a trade for Mike Muscala. Still, he had shown flashes of what he could be in 23 starts for the Lakers over two-plus seasons, averaging 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.
He leaves as one of the most prominent, durable big men in the league, averaging 10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds, and earning second-team All-Defense honors in 2024-25. This season, Zubac is averaging 14.4 points and a league-leading 11 rebounds, making him an attractive trade piece. He is under contract through the 2027-28 season.
For months, the Clippers (23-27) resisted trade offers because of what they saw as increasing value in their traditional center and wanted two first-round picks and a young talented player. So, when the Pacers met their demands, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank acquiesced.
Although his numbers had dipped from last season’s career-high averages, Zubac was a stalwart in the paint and was the favorite target of James Harden in pick-and-roll plays.
The Clippers traded Harden, 36, to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in exchange for the 26-year-old Garland.