NBA Analyst Believes Ivica Zubac Trade Still Haunts Pacers

NBA analyst Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes the Ivica Zubac trade still haunts the Indiana Pacers' front office. 

The Pacers lost their first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Mother's Day during the draft lottery because of the Zubac trade with the LA Clippers last season.

Indiana needed to land in the top four to keep its pick after trading it with protections to LAC for Zubac. The trade sent two of the Pacers' first-round picks to the Clippers: one in 2029 and either this year's first if it fell outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.

Because the Washington Wizards moved up in the lottery, Indiana landed fifth, so the pick went to LAC instead.

The Pacers could have drafted AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson. Instead, they have to pray that Zubac plays like an All-Star this season.

So far, the Zubac trade has been a disaster for the Pacers. The center played in only five games with Indiana last season and he's appeared in just three games this season. 

Zubac is currently out with a left ankle injury. He got injured in Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets. 

Zubac is averaging 9.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season. He's shooting 60.0% from the field and 50.0% from the foul line.  

Zubac entered last season fresh off a breakout campaign, during which he finished fourth in the league in rebounding (12.6 per game) while making second-team All-Defense. He was well on his way to averaging his second straight double-double before injuries interfered and he was ultimately traded from the Clippers to the Pacers.

This season, Zubac is the interior anchor for a Pacers squad that will try to return to prominence with their core players healthy. Zubac's rebounding and defense will be key to the Pacers' postseason aspirations.

It's early, but as of this writing, it's looking like the Pacers' front office made a mistake trading for Zubac. The only way for the narrative to change is for Zubac to get healthy, play like an All-Star and help Indiana get back to the NBA Finals. 

The Pacers are 2-5 right now. Not only is Zubac out, but Tyrese Haliburton is also injured. The All-Star point guard has a strained left hamstring. He's expected to miss at least two weeks. 

Haliburton missed all of last season recovering from the right Achilles tendon tear he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The two-time All-Star is averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game this season and shooting 51.6% from the field, 37.0% from beyond the arc and 86.7% from the free-throw line.