How Lakers set themselves back years with rival trade

With Anthony Davis sidelined due to an abdominal strain, the Lakers find themselves scrambling — once again — for answers at the center position. 

It’s a familiar predicament, one the franchise has been trying to solve for years. While its struggles have persisted, a potential long-term solution was once right in front of it, and it just let him walk across the hallway.  

In February 2019, the Lakers sent Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers in exchange for Mike Muscala, hoping to add a floor-spacing big for the stretch run. The move was questionable from the start. 

Muscala played just 17 games in the Purple and Gold, averaging 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds before departing in free agency. The Lakers, riddled with injuries, missed the playoffs with a 37-45 record.  

Zubac, meanwhile, wasted no time proving his value. The then-21-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 7.7 rebounds after the trade and has since cemented himself as a starting-caliber center for a Clippers team loaded with star power. 

Now 27, he is enjoying a career-best season in 2024-25, posting 15.2 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. 

A Revolving Door at Center  

While Zubac found stability, the Lakers have cycled through a long list of temporary solutions at the position. Their 2020 championship-winning formula of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard was a short-lived success, as the front office failed to build long-term continuity at center. 

Since then, the Lakers big man rotation has included Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, Andre Drummond, DeAndre Jordan, Thomas Bryant, Mo Bamba, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood — a constant reshuffling that has resulted in a lack of consistency, injuries and defensive instability.  

This revolving door has placed added pressure on Anthony Davis, forcing him to log more minutes at center — something he has long preferred to avoid. 

Meanwhile, the Clippers secured Zubac on a team-friendly three-year, $33 million extension in 2022, a bargain given his production. Even his current three-year, $58 million contract extension remains solid value for a player of his caliber.  

A Short-Sighted Trade That Still Hurts  

At the time of the trade, the Lakers were focused on clearing cap space for their eventual pursuit of Anthony Davis. But in their urgency, they sacrificed a promising young big who could have provided a long-term answer at center.  

Had they kept Zubac, the Lakers could have developed him as a defensive anchor alongside Davis, saved cap space and avoided years of instability at the position. Instead, they handed their crosstown rivals a reliable, cost-effective starting center — a decision that continues to haunt them.  

With each season that passes without a clear answer at center, Zubac’s presence in a Clippers uniform serves as a painful reminder of one of the Lakers’ most regrettable roster moves in recent history.