Questions surrounding Ivica Zubac’s debut with the Indiana Pacers will remain unanswered for at least another game.
Indiana listed Zubac as out with a left ankle sprain on its injury report Wednesday morning ahead of the team’s matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pacers open a four-game West Coast road trip Wednesday night in Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m. ET.
The injury designation means Zubac will not face his former team as he continues to work toward his first appearance since being acquired at the February trade deadline.
Indiana obtained the 28-year-old center in a significant deal with the Clippers that also included forward Kobe Brown heading to the Pacers. Los Angeles received a package centered on Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, along with two first-round picks in 2026 and 2029 and a future second-round pick.
Zubac had been enjoying one of the most productive stretches of his career before the trade. Across 43 games with the Clippers this season, he averaged 14.4 points, 11 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 61.3 percent from the field and 70.5 percent from the free-throw line. He started 42 of those contests and logged 30.9 minutes per game, serving as a consistent interior presence.
Ivica Zubac Pacers debut delayed as Bennedict Mathurin thrives with Clippers
His most recent appearance came in the Clippers’ 128-113 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 2. Zubac recorded eight points, nine rebounds, two assists and one block while shooting 3-for-3 from the field in 33 minutes.
Indiana continues to wait for the veteran center’s debut as it looks to stabilize a frontcourt that underwent major changes at the deadline. The Pacers enter Wednesday at 15-46 and are searching for consistency during the closing stretch of the season.
Meanwhile, Mathurin has begun to carve out a role with the Clippers following the trade. The 23-year-old guard has averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists across eight games with Los Angeles, shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free-throw line while playing 30.4 minutes per contest.
Mathurin most recently contributed in the Clippers’ 114-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors. He finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, one block and one steal while shooting 6-for-13 from the field and converting all five of his free-throw attempts in 31 minutes.
Although Zubac will not make his Indiana debut against his former team, the Pacers remain hopeful he will eventually anchor the interior as the organization evaluates its reshaped roster following the deadline trade.
