Ivica Zubac Rumors

Tim MacMahon: The Jazz are determined to keep Walker Kessler. Now, there is a gulf between the Jazz front office and Walker Kessler's camp in terms of his value. The Jazz have put it off on the table for five years and roughly $140 million. Walker Kessler's representation believes his value is significantly higher than that. There were discussions with the Indiana Pacers before they traded for Zubac about trading for Kessler, giving up two first-round picks and signing him to a deal that would have been north of that. The Jazz have also been very firm: They want a five-year deal, they want a five-year commitment. Kessler is a restricted free agent. The Jazz would have the right to match any offer that he received in restricted free agency, and they're using that leverage. These are tense negotiations. 

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The Pacers are looking to trade for a pick somewhere in the 30s early in the second round, according to league sources. Indiana's top selection, of course, had to be conveyed to the LA Clippers as a condition of the Ivica Zubac trade after it fell to No. 5 in the lottery.

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Tony East: You may have seen some pictures of Jenny Boucek and Jim Boylen with Ivica Zubac overseas. Zubac is on the Croatia squad for the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying window. They play Italy in a friendly on June 24, the competition starts in early July.

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Did you also think that your team was due a little bit of luck? Tyrese Haliburton: I mean, it was a coin toss. The way I’m looking at these last 12 months for me, dating back from June, I didn’t think we were really due any luck. It’s been a rough 12 months for me. I didn’t think KP had to apologize. They took a calculated risk, and I’m still rolling with the decision. I’m excited to add Zu to our crew, and I think we’re going to be really good alongside him. It’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes, but I’m still really excited about our group.

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At 29, Ivica Zubac should be in his prime. The Pacers likely needed to pay a premium for his deal, which will pay him just $42.1 million over the next two seasons. Additionally, the rest of the lottery is likely to be dotted with point guards. With Haliburton, the Pacers are set there, so protecting a pick further into the lottery had diminishing value for Indiana. Despite the risk of losing this year’s pick, Pritchard said the trade framework allowed the Pacers to keep most of their future draft flexibility intact. He suggested they expect to be active and will look for moves this summer. “Everybody says, well, why didn’t you protect it a lot deeper?” Pritchard said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to. That was the vig for us to get Zu.”

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Don't take my word for it. Pritchard said himself, later, that he views Zubac as his team's lottery pick (to an extent) when reflecting on the trade. "At the trade deadline, didn't know how structurally we were (going to be) able to get a top center. Then you might be just looking at free agency and using your cap. And we wouldn't have cap space. So it's a full mid level. And that guy usually isn't in the level of (Zubac)," he began before the kicker. "So (Zubac) is our lottery pick."

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Law Murray: The Pacers aren't done paying for Zubac btw. The LA Clippers will also receive the 2028 second round Pacers pick AND The 2029 Pacers first round pick. Bennedict Mathurin is a restricted free agent and Isaiah Jackson is under contract through 2028

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Law Murray: The Pacers keep their 2031 first. That was only going to the Clippers if the Clippers did not get the 2026 first, which they have now.

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Law Murray: The LA Clippers have STOLEN the Indiana Pacers pick and will draft FIFTH

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League sources say that the Warriors were the team that most aggressively pursued a trade for the Clippers' Leonard in the final stages before the league's Feb. 5 trade deadline after the Clippers had already traded away James Harden and Ivica Zubac that same week.

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Frank signaled that the Clippers would like to extend Leonard, who on Wednesday night requested he be given time to “cry about this loss a little bit more” before talking about his future. Frank acknowledged that questions about trading Leonard came once the Clippers traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac the week of the NBA trade deadline. But the franchise is focused on getting back to contender status with Leonard in the fold. “At the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan,” Frank said. “And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”

New York Times

Justin Russo: Ivica Zubac is here tonight sitting courtside.

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Dustin Dopirak: Ivica Zubac asked when he hurt his rib: "It was in the first quarter against Portland. I felt it right away but didn't feel like it was going to be fractured." Said he felt it overnight. Had a hard time sleeping.

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For slower teams, meanwhile, a more deliberate pace often arises because of their superior personnel. "A lot of the better teams, they do have a slower pace," LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said in late January, just before his team traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac. "I think because you're playing with stars or guys that are max players, they're going to slow the offense down because you want to play through them and get the ball in their hands."

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