Clippers lock up starting center for long haul

As the Clippers prepare to move to their new home, Intuit Dome, they seem intent on achieving stability. After locking up Kawhi Leonard and head coach Tyronn Lue to contract extensions, the Clippers have now secured their starting center, Ivica Zubac, for the long haul.

Zubac and the Clippers agreed to a three-year, $58.6 million contract extension on Friday, tying him to the franchise through the 2027-28 season, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

The report added that Zubac, who averaged a career-high 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds last season, signed for "the maximum deal available to him" under the terms of the NBA's new CBA. 

Besides logging career-highs in points and rebounds, Zubac shot a remarkable 65 percent from the floor in the regular season, which ranked third in the league behind Daniel Gafford and Rudy Gobert. The 7-footer from Croatia also held his own on defense, keeping opponents to 49.6 percent shooting at the rim, per Second Spectrum. That mark made him the most effective rim protector in the league among players who defended at least 200 shots in the restricted area.