Rick Carlisle Sees 1 Ivica Zubac Skill Becoming A ‘Major Plus’ For Pacers

Ivica Zubac had 13 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and three steals before halftime Tuesday night as the Indiana Pacers played the Oklahoma City Thunder in the preseason.

He made 6 of his 7 shots in 20 minutes.

Indiana lost 114-112 in overtime at Paycom Center. The Pacers finished with a 63-39 rebounding advantage.

It was the second game Zubac has played alongside Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 24 points before halftime.

Haliburton and Zubac were the two Pacers that coach Rick Carlisle said played great in the first half.

"He had a double-double in the first half, five assists," Carlisle said. "I thought most impressive were some of the passes he made. He's got great feel. He's got a lot of skill. He's got power, size."

Carlisle also pointed to Zubac's screening and the adjustment that still comes with playing in a new system and with a different group.

"His screening is something that's going to be a major plus for us," Carlisle continued. "He's adjusting to a different style of play and a different group of players. The five games he played last year were ostensibly with a lot of different guys that he wasn't playing with, hasn't really been playing with much this year."

"So, as I said before the game, there will continue to be adjustments as we go," Carlisle added. "But he was terrific in this game."

Indiana acquired Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 5 at the trade deadline. Kobe Brown came with him.

The Pacers sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and a second-round pick to Los Angeles. Mathurin was the sixth overall pick in 2022 and had spent three and a half seasons in Indiana.

One of those picks was Indiana's 2026 first-rounder. It landed at No. 5 in the lottery and conveyed to the Clippers, who drafted Illinois guard Keaton Wagler. Indiana did not make a first-round selection in June.

A left ankle sprain pushed Zubac's Pacers debut back to March 13 against the Phoenix Suns. He had eight points and six rebounds in 16 minutes that night, all of it in the first half.

Five days later, he broke a rib against the Portland Trail Blazers, and Indiana shut him down for the season.

Across those five games, Zubac averaged 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 23.6 minutes. In 43 games with the Clippers before the trade, he averaged 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds.

In 2024-25, he made the NBA All-Defensive Second Team and averaged 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds.

Myles Turner left Indiana for the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency in July 2025. Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley all took turns at center before the trade.

Last week, Haliburton called Zubac by far the best screener he has played with.

At media day, Zubac compared the Pacers' tight-knit roster to the Croatian national team he plays for.

In the preseason opener Oct. 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Iowa State, Zubac scored six points on 3-of-7 shooting.

Brown, the other half of the February trade, scored 10 points Tuesday. Huff, who started at center for stretches last season, had 11 points against Oklahoma City.

Indiana is 1-2 in the preseason with one exhibition left, Friday against Milwaukee at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.