In the spirit of the holidays, Shams Charania’s recent key intel for the Indiana Pacers directly suggested that they are in the hunt for a center. However, they do not want someone who has doubts and may come and go. Indiana desires a legitimate building block at the five, and luckily, Ivica Zubac and the LA Clippers are just a phone call away.
This season, the Pacers have felt the loss of the once-cherished fan favorite, Myles Turner, in their hearts. Nothing in Indiana is the same without Turner, who was drafted in the 2015 lottery and spent 10 seasons developing, blocking shots, and shooting three-pointers.
In fact, in Pacers’ history, Turner ended sixth in games played, fourth in three-pointers made, and first in blocks, with 1,412. Evidently, he is an Indiana legend alongside the franchise’s greatest of the greats, like Reggie Miller.
That said, the perfect center replacement for the Pacers is in LA; Zubac is strong, passionate, and a beast on both ends of the court, all of which Turner was for a decade.
The Indiana Pacers would have to pay a hefty price to land their dream Myles Turner replacement
Myles Turner is not a player who can be replaced easily. The Indiana Pacers found a starting center in Jay Huff via a second-round pick swap with the Memphis Grizzlies, but he is more of an ideal backup for head coach Rick Carlisle.
In 24 games, Huff has averaged 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds, shooting 43% from the field, with a league-high 2.5 blocks per game.
Moreover, with Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and the core they are still building to record another sensational NBA Finals run, it does not get more perfect than Ivica Zubac at the center position.
Big Zu is 28, averaging 15.9 points and 11.6 boards, on an inexpensive deal that will not hit $20 million annually until 2027-28. These are all green flags that surely appeal to the center-needy Pacers.
However, the Clippers value Zubac more than any other player on their roster. Thus, in a trade with Indiana, Lawrence Frank would maximize everything the Croatian Star brings to the table by asking for Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, a salary-filler role player, and draft picks.
This would give LA everything they would have wanted to appear under their Christmas tree, and vice versa for the Pacers, at the 2026 trade deadline in February.