Pacers Could Extend Ivica Zubac, But Should Exercise Caution

When the Indiana Pacers acquired star center Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers, it was a move they felt would bring in their long-term center. Zubac is one of the best in the NBA at what he does and the team will have a chance to extend him this offseason.

Kevin Pritchard and the front office could extend Zubac to a maximum extension of around three years and $95 million. However, the Pacers should exercise caution.

That isn't to say Zubac is a bad player. Or that he's a player to be careful with from a talent perspective. The reality of the situation is that Indiana doesn't know how he will fit within its system.

After trading for Zubac, the Pacers only saw him play in five games. He averaged 23.6 minutes per outing, producing 11.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Zubac also shot 47.2 percent from the floor.

Zubac was not fully healthy during his short stint in Indiana this season. No one will truly know what he looks like in Rick Carlisle's system until next year.

Outside of that point, Zubac also hasn't played with superstar point guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Last season en route to an NBA Finals run, the Pacers played at an extremely fast pace. They also had a center in Myles Turner who could stretch the floor. Zubac is not close to being the same kind of center that Turner was for Indiana.

Indiana may need to switch up the offense a bit. Zubac is much more comfortable playing down low with his back to the basket. He also excels in the pick-and-roll game.

How that will fit alongside of a point guard who loves pushing the pace remains to be seen.

While it wouldn't be a horrible idea for the Pacers to give Zubac an extension, they should be extremely careful to not overpay. If the fit doesn't work, a major extension for Zubac could make it much more difficult for Indiana to move on.

In an ideal world, none of those concerns will matter. Zubac would fit in perfectly and be the missing piece that the Pacers needed to win an NBA championship.

However, Indiana is close to winning its first title. The Pacers cannot afford to make a big mistake at this point in the process.