As of now, the primary return pieces from the Ivica Zubac trade that have grabbed headlines are Bennedict Mathurin and the Indiana Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick, particularly because of its protections. But another quality asset, Isaiah Jackson, was also moved to the LA Clippers. Instead of maximizing his young legs, Tyronn Lue has chosen to keep his seat nice and warm by leaving him out of the rotation indefinitely.
Jackson was essentially the third-string, reserve center, right as he arrived. In his debut versus the Houston Rockets, he was subbed in while the Clippers were down double-figures late in the fourth. Against the Denver Nuggets, he momentarily took Yanic Konan Niederhauser’s place in the first due to foul trouble.
Additionally, Jackson has been a healthy scratch thereafter, just waiting for his number to be called.
Thus, with little time left in the regular season, Tyronn Lue may be opposed to experimenting with Jackson. What he does not know is that this is a mistake, as Jackson could elevate the Clippers’ frontcourt in a lineup everyone would love to see.
Tyronn Lue should test out the unknown instead of having Jackson sit
At six-foot-eight, Isaiah Jackson produced solid numbers in his career with the Indiana Pacers. Across 201 games, he averaged 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks, shooting 59.3% from the floor.
In addition, beyond what the box scores present, Jackson is mobile, has great footwork, hustles on defense, and brings a high IQ to the five-man spot at just 24 years of age. The LA Clippers could use all of these aspects on a nightly basis.
But, you might ask, how would that work if the Clippers do not have space for a third center with Brook Lopez starting and Yanic Konan Niederhauser off the bench? Would it not be too crowded on offense?
Well, that is the beauty of having Lopez, who is an excellent three-point shooter. Defenses have to respect his jumper in a twin-tower lineup, suggesting that there is a world where Tyronn Lue can include Jackson in the rotation; he has willingly chosen not to.
That said, it is never too late to try something new. There is a chance Jackson could fit like a glove right away, especially with Bennedict Mathurin, with whom he is accustomed to as a teammate, but, at the moment, it seems like no one will ever know, given what has been seen from Lue’s post-All-Star break game plan.