The Indiana Pacers gave up a massive haul to trade for Ivica Zubac, and the franchise may find out that was a mistake in the 2027 playoffs. The Clippers watched him struggle in the biggest games for three straight years. LA lost his 101.7 minutes by 35 points in Games 5-7 of their first-round defeat to the Nuggets in 2025. That continued a trend that dates back years. The Pacers plan to jump back into title contention, but Zubac could create some problems.
This trade turned disastrous for Indiana on lottery night when it was announced the Pacers fell to fifth and owed their 2026 first-rounder to LA. Indy still has to give the Clippers a 2029 first-round draft pick and a 2028 second-rounder to complete this deal. Expect LA to get a difference-maker with the fifth overall pick, and it will rub salt in the Pacers' wound again. Indy tanked this season for nothing after their lottery slide.
Zubac is on a bargain contract and was second-team All-Defense in 2025. There is plenty to get excited about, but the seven-footer has struggled in the playoffs. Things seem to get worse as the series wears on, and it should have Pacers fans worried. Tyrese Haliburton led Indy to the NBA Finals in 2025, so they can’t have their starting center holding them back.
Pacers will quickly learn about Ivica Zubac’s playoff struggles
Indiana let Myles Turner walk in free agency after their run to the NBA Finals in 2025. Turner struggled as the playoffs wore on, and the Pacers decided to go in a different direction. It left the Pacers with a hole at the five, and they quickly moved to fill it.
Zubac has two years left on his contract and is set to make just $21.7 million in 2027-28. That is a steal for a second-team All-Defensive option, but the 29-year-old big man has his warts.
The seven-footer doesn’t space the floor. He has attempted just 12 3-pointers in his decade-long NBA career. Last season, 92 percent of Zubac’s field goal attempts came within ten feet of the basket. He’s a strong rebounder, rim protector, and finisher, but he’s not providing the floor spacing Turner did.
Zubac is exploitable in the playoffs. They needed him on the floor in 2025 to battle Nikola Jokic, but the Clippers were 12.5 points per 100 possessions better with him on the bench in that series. In 2024, Luka Doncic was hunting the big man plenty. The Clippers were better with Zubac on the floor, but they lost his 125.2 minutes by 27 points over the final four games. LA was 18.5 points per 100 possessions worse with Zubac in the 2023 playoffs as the Suns bounced them in the opening round.
Each is a small sample size, but a pattern is forming. Teams hunt him on defense, and his inability to space the floor becomes an issue.
Credit to Kevin Pritchard for seeing a need and solving it. It cost the Pacers a lot, but Zubac’s contract is a massive reason why. They have a below-market-value deal locked in for the next two years.
It is on Rick Carlisle to figure out how to maximize Zubac in the playoffs. The Pacers head coach played Zubac off the floor in 2021. The Clippers stormed back to defeat the Mavericks in the opening round, but the big man played less than eight minutes combined in the final two games. Carlisle certainly knows his weaknesses, which helps.
The Indiana Pacers should have their sights set on a championship. They lost in the NBA Finals in 2025 and are eager to return to contention with Tyrese Haliburton healthy. The Clippers are well aware of Ivica Zubac’s playoff warts, and Indy will find out next season. Fans know the Pacers will play fast and overcome their mistakes, but this is already a problem to monitor. Expect coach Carlisle to have answers, but don’t say you weren’t warned.
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