Clippers’ Ivica Zubac drawing interest from Pacers, others

The Pacers are among the teams keeping tabs on Clippers center Ivica Zubac, with Indiana recently placing a call to L.A. to gauge his availability, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

Indiana has been active on the big-man front ever since losing Myles Turner to Milwaukee in free agency. The Pacers have been rotating Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff and Tony Bradley in the middle while exploring longer-term solutions, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.

Dallas’ Daniel Gafford is another name on their board, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

Both Zubac and Gafford are under contract for several years at roughly $18-20 million annually, a range that fits Indiana’s structure with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam already locked in at max salaries.

The Pacers have the trade pieces to make it work — including Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker — and control all of their future first-round picks.

The question is whether the Clippers are willing to listen. Zubac is coming off an All-Defensive second-team season and finished second in Most Improved Player voting, and early indications are that L.A. isn’t eager to move him.

Still, rival executives told Siegel they believe the Clippers would at least have the conversation if multiple first-round picks were offered.

For now, Indiana is doing its homework as it searches for the next anchor in the post.