Pacers Confident Ivica Zubac Trade 'Will Help Reopen Their Championship Window'

According to ESPN, the Indiana Pacers are confident that the Ivica Zubac trade "will help reopen their championship window."

The Pacers acquired Zubac from the LA Clippers last season. 

Zubac played in just five games with Indiana last season, averaging 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest while shooting 47.2% from the field and 80.0 % from the free-throw line.

The big man has played for the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers and Pacers. He enters this season with career averages of 10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

The Pacers lost their first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Mother's Day during the draft lottery thanks to the Zubac trade with the Clippers last season. Indiana needed to land in the top four to keep its pick after trading it with protections to the Clippers for Zubac. The trade sent two of Indiana's first-round picks to the Clippers: one in 2029 and either this year's first if it fell outside of 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 the Clippers 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 alongside Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton. 

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, he 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.

Haliburton said Zubac is by far the best screener he's ever played with. The Pacers' pick-and-roll offense should be elite this season with Haliburton and Zubac leading the way. 

After all, Haliburton is one of the top passers in the NBA.

Haliburton has career averages of 17.5 points and 8.8 assists per game in the regular season and 17.9 points and 8.4 assists per game in the playoffs. The basketball world can't wait to see Hali play again.

Haliburton is averaging 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in a Pacers uniform. He signed a five-year, $244 million extension with the Pacers in July 2023.