At this point in the NBA offseason, many of the big signings that were expected to take place around the league over the summer have already been finalized. So of course, that made it that much more of a surprise when the announcement was made that the LA Clippers were officially re-signing Ivica Zubac.
The Clippers will get Big Zu's services back at a rate of $58.6 million over three years. That is a very solid deal considering what kind of production Zubac gave LA this past season. Getting him back on a reasonable extension is obviously fantastic news, and it will give the Clippers that much more of a chance to remain a power in the Western Conference.
So with Zubac back on board, the team's next step seems to be becoming more apparent. Obviously, the Clippers are fully leaning into Kawhi Leonard as their top option once again despite his injuries, and making sure they have star role players in place as well. They are looking to stay a contender.
The Clippers need to add another star or fringe-star
But as everyone is aware, winning in the NBA requires talent. Talent can not guarantee you a championship, but it is extremely hard to win without highly-capable players on both sides of the basketball. It is clear that although the Clippers' roster has been repaired enough to remain a sneaky playoff contender, they still need another star to be in the championship conversation.
For the last five seasons, Paul George was that star. With PG out of the picture, the Clippers are making it clear that they still intend on keeping the rest of this team's core together after the announcement of Zubac's extension.
If they continue on this path, LA will need to get Kawhi a co-star, or at least another fringe-star level player. Perhaps that could be through a trade deadline deal, an offseason signing or other acquisition. But respectfully, James Harden is no longer that kind of player, and neither is Zubac or anyone else on this roster. The Clippers have to swing for that one final piece to have true championship expectations.