MILWAUKEE — Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said new center Ivica Zubac‘s debut with the team could be delayed because he is currently on paternity leave and because of an ankle injury Carlisle said Zubac has been playing through since December.
“It’s kind of yo-yo’d a little bit,” Carlisle said before Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. “My understanding from talking to him is that there’s still something there that’s not quite right. We’re not going to put him out there until he’s really ready.”
Indiana acquired Zubac and Kobe Brown from the LA Clippers on Thursday in exchange for guard Bennedict Mathurin, center Isaiah Jackson, a pair of first-round draft picks and a second-rounder.
Zubac missed his final game with the Clippers while he was away for the birth of his first child, but he had played in nine consecutive games prior and has appeared in 43 contests this season.
“He’s a guy that has played 94 or 95 percent of his games through his career and I’m presuming that’s because he’s always raring to go through things,” Carlisle said. “That’s not going to be an option here.”
Indiana began Friday with the third-worst record in the NBA at 13-38, 10½ games back for the last play-in spot.
The Pacers traded a 2026 first-rounder to the Clippers in the deal for Zubac, but the pick is protected in the top 1-4 of the draft or 10-30. Owning one of the three worst records in the league gives the Pacers a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick. If the pick does not convey in 2026, it turns into an unprotected first-rounder in 2031.
The Pacers made the deal for Zubac to fill a long-term hole at center following the loss of Myles Turner in free agency this summer. Zubac is still under contract through the 2027-28 season and will provide a new pick-and-roll partner when Tyrese Haliburton returns next season from a torn Achilles.
Zubac is averaging 14.4 points and 11 rebounds on 61% shooting this season, but his play style will be a departure from Turner, a stretch big who could extend defenses beyond the arc. Zubac, meanwhile, has not attempted a 3-point shot this season.
“The two guys are different,” Carlisle said comparing Zubac to Turner. “We’ll study it and figure out how it all fits together. It’ll look a little different than when Myles was out there.
“I feel both those guys are top-10 centers in the NBA. So we’re fortunate to have made the deal.”
