Ivica Zubac has become a cornerstone for the Clippers in their Paul George and Kawhi Leonard era, joining the team before the pair made their way to LA because he was traded to the Clippers in the winter of 2019. The team that sent him there? The LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers.
Zubac appeared on Paul George's podcast and reflected on that trade, calling it the easiest trade ever because he stayed in the same city.
"It was tough... I was in Boston, they called me 15 minutes before the deadline, Magic and Rob on the phone, 'We're trading you. Appreciate you for everything,' blah blah blah. I said, 'Just tell me where I'm going' and they say Clippers. I'm like, okay, I'm in the same city, I'm cool with that... We were supposed to play in Boston, I got traded after shootaround. I look up Clippers schedule, they're playing in Indiana and are in Boston tomorrow. I didn't have to switch hotels, played a game in Boston, went back to LA, same house, same everything. Easiest trade ever."
Zubac also discussed the anxiety in the Lakers locker room at the time regarding trades, but was thankful he got traded to a team that gave him an opportunity.
"All the young guys like Lonzo, Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, me, everyone was worried about the deadline. We didn't know what was going to happen but we knew something was. It ended up just being me... They said you were going to be a starter and get a big opportunity. That's something I was thankful for, they traded me to a place I was going to play."
The winter Zubac was traded was a very active one for the Lakers. They were rumored to trade for Anthony Davis for almost the entire winter but couldn't get it done because the Pelicans refused all offers. This led to the Lakers dumping salary to not only be able to acquire Davis in a summer trade (which they did) and have room for another star.
All the Lakers moves were validated when they won the NBA title, but it also led to the Lakers handing the Clippers a core piece for an expiring salary like Mike Muscala.
Ivica Zubac Is A Core Piece For The Clippers
At the time the Clippers acquired Zubac, he was averaging 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 33 games for the Lakers. SInce joining the Clippers, Zubac has averaged 9.9 points and 8.4 rebounds over 360 games. He's been their solidified starting center for five years now and has rarely had his position questioned due to his hard-nosed playing ability. He rebounds aggressively, protects the rim, and can finish with force.
He's averaging 12.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks this season, becoming the perfect center to anchor a team featuring James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George. If the Clippers hope to finally win a title this season, Zubac is going to be the quiet piece behind that success. He won't get as much credit as the others, but he's kept the Clippers ticking through good times and bad.
Over his five years with the franchise, Zubac has become a cult favorite with many fans regularly expressing their love for the center. The Clippers won this trade by a landslide, but the Lakers won't complain given the salary dump gave them room in the 2019 free agency to construct their eventual title-winning squad.
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