At the February trade deadline, it was a complete toss-up as to which team, the LA Clippers or the Indiana Pacers, won the deal involving Ivica Zubac. Several young pieces were moved, but at the end of the day, everyone knew the deciding factor was where the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick landed, given its protections.
Well, the draft lottery was just concluded, and it’s official, the Clippers will be on the clock at 5th overall in the upcoming draft. This cements LA as the winner, and, in all honesty, there isn’t even an argument that favors the Pacers.
They really finished with the second-worst record in the NBA, and won’t be rewarded for it in any shape or form. That’s a harsh reality for Pacers’ fans to accept, and something Clipper Nation is absolutely thrilled about.
The Clippers won the Ivica Zubac trade by an absurd margin
As they no longer have their spot in the 2026 NBA draft, all the Indiana Pacers really gained from their trade with the LA Clippers is Ivica Zubac. That’s a lot, and shouldn’t be downplayed, considering that when he’s at his best, Zubac is one of the most productive, reliable centers in the NBA.
However, following the lottery, it’s clear the Pacers overpaid the Clippers an unimaginable amount of assets for Zubac.
For starters, as mentioned above, LA will have the opportunity to select a franchise player in June. It could be Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, or, if they’re lucky, Caleb Wilson, but nonetheless, this pick alone is extremely valuable.
In terms of draft capital, it doesn’t end there; Indiana also gave the Clippers an unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and a second-round pick in 2028.
That’s a ton of chances to find young talent that can serve as a rock-solid foundation, carrying LA’s future for the foreseeable future.
On top of that, one of the biggest faces of the blockbuster deal, Bennedict Mathurin, has yet to be talked about. The Pacers opted to throw him in as well, and though he had a rough half-season with the Clippers, Mathurin offered plenty of glimpses of potential at just 23 years old.
If that wasn’t already enough of a haul the Clippers received, Isaiah Jackson, a 24-year-old quality rotational center, followed Mathurin to the Intuit Dome.
That said, while Clipper Nation celebrates the lottery results, Indiana is forced to sit in regret, wishing it had done things differently at the deadline.
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