The Celtics had their sights set on Ivica Zubac for a while. The Clippers’ big man was a name that kept surfacing in trade rumors tied to Boston, and for good reason - Zubac brings size, rebounding, and a physical interior presence that would’ve fit nicely in the Celtics’ system.
Reports even suggested Boston had dangled Anfernee Simons, a first-round pick, and a pick swap earlier in the year in an effort to land him. But at that point, the Clippers weren’t biting.
Fast forward to this week, and the landscape has shifted dramatically. Despite playing some of their best basketball in recent memory, the Clippers decided to tear things down.
First came the blockbuster: James Harden shipped off to Cleveland in exchange for Darius Garland. Then, just two days later, Zubac was on the move too - heading to Indiana along with Kobe Brown.
In return, the Clippers picked up Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-rounders, and a second-round pick.
That’s a major pivot from a team that had been surging. It signals a clear organizational decision: this era in L.A. is done.
The Clippers are shifting gears, flipping key contributors for assets and future flexibility. Whether that’s a full rebuild or a retool remains to be seen, but the message is clear - they’re looking ahead.
Which brings us back to Boston. Could the Celtics have landed Zubac if they’d waited just a little longer?
On Tuesday morning, Boston made their move, sending Simons and his $27.7 million expiring contract, along with a valuable second-round pick, to Chicago in exchange for Nikola Vucevic. That deal effectively took them out of the running for Zubac. But it’s fair to wonder: had they held off, could they have made a competitive offer?
Let’s break down what Indiana gave up. The Pacers sent out a 2029 unprotected first-round pick - a long-term asset with real value - and a 2026 first-rounder with some creative protections: it only conveys if it lands between picks 5 and 9.
If not, it rolls over to 2031. That’s a complicated structure, but the key takeaway is this: Indiana gave up a lot of future capital.
They also parted with Mathurin, a former lottery pick who’s shown flashes of potential but hasn’t quite broken out yet. He’s also nearing extension territory, which adds another layer to the evaluation. Jackson, meanwhile, is a solid rotation big but not someone who swings a deal like this.
So, could Boston have matched or beaten that package? It depends on how the Clippers viewed Mathurin.
If they saw him as a high-upside piece worth developing and extending, then the Pacers’ offer likely stood out. But if L.A. was more focused on salary relief and draft capital, Boston had the ammo - Simons’ expiring deal and draft picks - to make a compelling case.
Especially if they’d been willing to include that second-rounder that ultimately went to the Bulls.
But now, it’s all hypothetical. What’s real is this: the Pacers just landed a starting-caliber center who can anchor their defense and finish around the rim. And if Tyrese Haliburton is healthy next season, Indiana suddenly becomes a serious threat in the East.
That’s a problem for Boston. The Celtics are still the team to beat, but the road just got a little bumpier. Zubac may not be a superstar, but he’s the kind of player who makes life harder in a playoff series - especially for a team like Boston that values rim protection and interior toughness.
In the end, the Celtics made their move. The Pacers made theirs.
And the Clippers? They hit the reset button.
What that means for the rest of the league is still unfolding, but one thing’s clear: the Eastern Conference arms race isn’t slowing down anytime soon.