Are the Indiana Pacers currently having the best 13-38 season of all time? Pascal Siakam is an All-Star, they have a chance at a top-four pick by the day, and now they've added a high-level center in Ivica Zubac as the trade deadline rapidly approaches. The vibes are kind of great in Indy, which is crazy to say for a team that's 25 games under .500.
But with the addition of Zubac on Thursday, the Pacers effectively replaced Myles Turner — whom they somewhat stunningly lost last offseason to the Milwaukee Bucks — with Zubac, who averaged a career-high 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game last year, making his first-ever All-Defensive team in the process.
Zubac' numbers are down a little bit this season (he's still averaging 14 & 10), but this move wasn't made with 2025-26 in mind. He will be under contract through the 2027-28 season, and when Tyrese Haliburton returns next season, he'll be doing it with a very, very good center waiting for him. Zubac does not possess the outside shooting touch that Turner did, but he's one of the better low-post scorers in basketball.
Ivica Zubac is a perfect fit with Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers
The big man didn't come cheap — the Pacers had to sacrifice Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and two future first-round picks. The Pacers also get young wing Kobe Brown back in the deal, but this is a steep price to pay for Zubac. One of those first-rounders is the Pacers' own pick in the 2026 draft — if it lands in the 5-9 range. If that pick conveys as a top 4 selection or from 10-30, the Pacers keep it. That's not small potatoes!
It's also 100 percent worth it. Zubac is a real difference-maker, and if the Pacers want to compete in the East next year (which they absolutely should be capable of) then upgrading the center position was a must.
Of course, the icon Jay Huff will still be in the mix next year, likely serving as a high-level backup behind Zubac. The frontcourt depth has rebounded nicely after the surprise departure of Miles Thomas. Myke Torner. What was his name?
I kid, of course. But we've officially entered a new era of Pacers basketball now, one that looks just as promising as the last one, which culminated in an NBA Finals appearance.
With Zubac in the mix and (hopefully) a lottery pick coming up in a few months, the Pacers are will have the chance to literally go from worst to first in one season. A little patience is still required, but great things are coming.