The Pacers have been searching for a starting center and now they have one.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Indiana has agreed to acquire Ivica Zubac from the Clippers. The full deal, per Charania along with Jake Fischer of The Stein Line and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, is a sizable one.
Indiana receives Zubac and Kobe Brown. The Clippers land Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, Indiana’s 2026 first-round pick with protections, an unprotected 2029 first-rounder, and Dallas’ 2028 second-round pick.
If the 2026 pick does not fall between Nos. 5-9, Los Angeles instead receives Indiana’s unprotected 2031 first, per Fischer.
The move ends Indiana’s long-running search for a starting center after losing Myles Turner to Milwaukee last summer. The Pacers cycled through Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley without finding a permanent solution.
Indiana explored several options, including Daniel Gafford, Nic Claxton, Walker Kessler, and Yves Missi.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported the Pacers recently offered two unprotected firsts for Kessler but were turned down by Utah.
Zubac had been linked to Indiana for months. After the Clippers moved James Harden to the Cavaliers earlier this week, it became clearer they were willing to pivot toward the future.
Zubac, 28, is coming off a breakout season and remains one of the league’s steadiest centers. He is averaging 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds on 61.3 percent shooting this year and is under contract on a team-friendly deal through 2026-27.
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