Pacers Await Zubac and Brown as Trade Deadline Shakeup Begins to Settle
MILWAUKEE - The Indiana Pacers made a bold move at the trade deadline, but fans will have to wait a few more days before they see their newest additions in action. Center Ivica Zubac and forward Kobe Brown, acquired in a deal with the Clippers, won’t be suiting up until at least Tuesday’s game against the Knicks in New York. And even that may be optimistic for Zubac, who’s working through an ankle issue and is currently on paternity leave.
Head coach Rick Carlisle made it clear before Friday’s matchup with the Bucks: the team won’t rush Zubac back onto the floor.
“It’s more likely that his debut with us - assuming everything goes through - will probably be delayed,” Carlisle said. “He had an ankle thing that happened in December.
It’s kind of yo-yo’d a little bit. From what I understand, there’s still something there that’s not quite right.”
That cautious approach makes sense. Zubac has built a reputation as a durable, reliable big man - someone who’s played in the vast majority of games throughout his career.
But Carlisle emphasized that this situation is different. The Pacers want him fully healthy before he steps onto the court.
Zubac and Brown were part of a trade that sent guard Bennedict Mathurin and center Isaiah Jackson to Los Angeles. Indiana also included a protected 2026 first-round pick, a 2028 second-rounder, and an unprotected 2029 first-round pick to complete the deal. It’s a significant haul, but it underscores how much the Pacers believe Zubac can stabilize their frontcourt.
Let’s be honest - Indiana has been searching for answers at the five since Myles Turner departed for Milwaukee in free agency. Zubac, averaging 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds per game this season, brings immediate rebounding punch and interior presence.
He ranks fifth in the league in boards per game and has appeared in 43 of the Clippers’ 50 contests. That kind of consistency is exactly what this Pacers roster has been missing.
But there’s more to this trade than just on-court fit. The draft pick protections involved add an intriguing wrinkle to Indiana’s situation.
The 2026 first-rounder they sent to the Clippers comes with a unique condition: if the Pacers land a top-4 pick or fall between picks 10-30, they keep the selection and instead send their 2031 first-rounder to L.A. But if the pick falls between 5 and 9?
It goes to the Clippers.
That puts the Pacers in a strange spot. With a 13-38 record, they currently sit third from the bottom in the league standings - only the Kings (12-40) and Pelicans (13-40) are worse.
The Nets (13-36), Wizards (14-36), and Jazz (16-35) are hovering in that same low-win territory. The bottom three teams each have a 14% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, and staying in that group maximizes Indiana’s lottery odds while also helping them protect that 2026 pick.
So while the front office took a swing by adding Zubac - a move that clearly addresses a glaring need - the team’s current position in the standings adds a layer of complexity. Winning too many games down the stretch could actually cost them a valuable draft asset.
For now, the focus is on getting Zubac healthy and integrating both him and Brown into the system. The Pacers have made their move. Now it’s a waiting game - both for the new faces to debut and to see how the ping-pong balls bounce come lottery night.