For as long as Tyronn Lue has been head coach of the LA Clippers, he's been able to rely on center Ivica Zubac and his availability to hold down the for his team. After the 2026 NBA trade deadline, Zubac is no longer a member of the Clippers, signaling a transition for the franchise.
The Clippers traded Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers in the final hour of the 2026 NBA trade deadline, acquiring Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and a couple of potentially valuable draft picks in the process. The franchise had been refusing trade offers for their center for months, but offers from the Pacers gradually got more aggressive to the point where a deal was hard to turn down.
Head coach Tyronn Lue spoke with members of the media immediately after the trade deadline, breaking down what it was like to be in the Clippers practice facility when the franchise had to make the difficult decision to trade Zubac to the Pacers.
“I mean it was super tough,” Lue said. “I saw Zu grow from day one from not playing the fourth quarters to winning games down the stretch and being a big part of what we did offensively and defensively every single night. And so to lose a guy like Zu with his stature, what he stood for, even off the floor as a person, it's tough. And a lot of people in the organization the other day was crying. It was a tough day for us, an emotional day. And you hate to see yourself lose a player like that. And so it was a tough day.”
Before tonight’s game, I asked Tyronn Lue about how tough it was to lose Ivica Zubac, a player he’s been with for seven years.
Lue: “Super tough. I saw Zu grow from day one … A lot of people in the organization yesterday was crying. It was a tough day for us. Emotional day.” pic.twitter.com/S0ztiHb14s
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) February 7, 2026
Lue has watched Zubac grow from a reserve who struggled to get on the floor in fourth quarters to an All-NBA and All-Defensive caliber player in a few short years, highlighting his incredible development in the league.
Ivica Zubac was named to the All-Defensive Second Team and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2024-25 regular season. It was a huge acknowledgement to his development as a player and the ability to lead a team, as the Clippers surprised everyone by winning 50 games last season.
In 80 appearances last season, Zubac averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 62.8 percent from the field.
“The process is going to be hard, understandably, when you lose a great guy like Zu,” Lue added. “He was the longest-tenured guy on the team. so when you lose him, you lose James, you lose Kobe who's been here for three years, it's tough. I can't speak for those guys in the locker room, but I know its tough on them, but you still got to be professional, you've got to do your job, no matter what the circumstances are.
“Lawrence Frank was telling the truth. He didn't want to let Zu go. He didn't. Neither did any of the coaching staff, but as the deal got better and better, it was good for our future and what we can do now, we had to make those decisions. It's tough, but we gotta get through it.”
The Clippers had gone 17-4 since December 20th, easily the best record in the league. The 6-21 start was a thing of the past and many believed the Clippers could make a legitimate play-in or even playoff push with how well they've been playing.
But the trade sending out James Harden and Ivica Zubac will make things more difficult as the team tries to incorporate three new players into the rotation while managing the foot injury of Darius Garland's.
“We're still going to play to win games and be competitive. Getting Garland back when he's ready to go, that's the most important thing. But we still can win games, we can compete at a high level, and when you trade two of your three top players, it seems like it's a tough path but we've been through tougher. So we've got to be able to come out every single night, compete at a high level, and let the chips fall where they may. Our guys in the locker room believe they can win, and that's the biggest thing.”
Tyronn Lue and the Clippers have gotten the post-trade deadline stretch off to a strong start, with two wins over the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves. Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson joined the team in Minneapolis and are expected to make their debuts tomorrow when the Clippers face the Houston Rockets.
Darius Garland, meanwhile, remains out with what the Clippers are calling left toe injury management. The former Cleveland Cavaliers guard underwent surgery on his left toe in the offseason, and President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank said the team will continue to manage the soreness in his foot in order to ensure the best future for himself and the franchise.
