On the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast, two franchise legends for the Los Angeles Lakers with a showroom of accomplishments and honors, Steve Nash and LeBron James, spoke on a ton of aspects of the NBA. But when the Ivica Zubac trade to the Indiana Pacers came up, James said the obvious out loud: the LA Clippers struck on the opportunity to sell high with James Harden gone to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Big Zu’s production was inevitably going to be affected without the former MVP, so essentially, one move directly led to the other.
"Once they got off James [Harden], they felt like, you know, maybe they could go get something for Zubac, because they are losing the playmaking of James."LeBron James
James, of all stars, is aware of the connection they have had for years. From the pick-and-rolls to the alley-oops to the no-look passes, the four-time champion has been on the opposite side of it all, and he understands the business side of the Clippers’ thought process.
The LA Clippers wisely traded Ivica Zubac before walking into an unfamiliar territory
All the LA Clippers have seen over the last two and a half seasons is Ivica Zubac dominating with James Harden running the floor. There has never really been another point guard in Harden’s shoes, as he was available for the most part of his tenure.
Furthermore, once the Clippers traded Harden, they evidently feared the dark side, unsure whether Zubac could be the one to shed light. He would be without Darius Garland for the foreseeable future, meaning a chunk of his scoring and finishing would be self-created.
Could he do it? Yes, Zubac has proven, in increments, that he can move his feet, shake defenders off him, and score a bucket. In fact, fans cannot even count how many times Tyronn Lue looked to him in the clutch; that explains how much of a guarantee his finishing held.
However, the question was whether he could do it consistently. Lawrence Frank had never seen it, and the decision was ultimately in his hands.
Hence, Frank took the best offer on the table before it disappeared, and avoided witnessing the possibility of Zubac’s value tanking. Who knows if LA would have received two youngsters and three total draft picks in the summer?
That said, cashing out was the only route to follow. Harden’s trade certainly impacted Zubac’s, backing up exactly what LeBron James saw from an outsider's point of view, and, at the end of the day, the Clippers executed with the future at the top of their priorities.