The Indiana Pacers made one of the more significant moves at the NBA trade deadline, reshaping their frontcourt and signaling a new chapter in their roster construction. In a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana acquired center Ivica Zubac and forward Kobe Brown, sending out Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and a package of draft picks. It’s a move that fills a long-standing need in the middle-but it also came with some emotional weight, especially for franchise cornerstone Tyrese Haliburton.
Shortly after the trade was announced, Haliburton took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message for Mathurin, posting a photo of the two sharing a moment on the court. “My Brother.
Tyrese Haliburton via IG pic.twitter.com/bizZxH5rLu
— The Indy Pacer (@TheIndyPacer) February 5, 2026
Go be great 00,” he wrote, adding a fingers-crossed emoji and a yellow heart. It was a quiet but powerful reflection of just how tight-knit this Pacers group had become over the past few seasons.
Mathurin, now 23, was enjoying the best season of his young career. The former sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft had carved out a major role on the wing, averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
He was shooting efficiently across the board-43.3% from the field, 37.2% from deep, and an impressive 88.4% from the line-all while logging over 31 minutes a night in 28 appearances, 24 of those as a starter. He had become a reliable two-way presence and a key piece of Indiana’s rotation.
But with Myles Turner signing with Milwaukee in the offseason, the Pacers had a glaring hole at center. Zubac steps into that void immediately.
At 7 feet tall with a strong interior presence, he brings a level of size and physicality the Pacers have missed since their deep playoff run. The cost was steep-two young rotation players, a protected 2026 first-rounder, an unprotected 2029 first, and a future second-but Indiana clearly believes Zubac can be the anchor they need as they retool around Haliburton.
For Mathurin, the move sends him to a Clippers team currently sitting ninth in the West at 23-27. He joins a squad led by Kawhi Leonard and newly acquired Darius Garland, who arrived in a separate blockbuster that sent James Harden to Cleveland.
The Clippers are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, and Mathurin’s scoring and versatility on the wing could be a valuable addition as they push for postseason positioning. His debut could come as soon as Friday night, when Los Angeles begins a four-game road trip against the Sacramento Kings.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are navigating a transitional stretch. After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and making it all the way to the NBA Finals last season-where they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a dramatic seven-game series-Indiana has struggled to find its footing this year.
They enter the next phase of the season at 13-38 and begin a six-game road trip Friday against the Bucks. Zubac is expected to step into a starting role right away, helping stabilize a rotation that’s been searching for consistency since Turner’s departure.
Haliburton, still recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered in Game 7 of the Finals, remains the emotional and strategic center of Indiana’s long-term plans. His message to Mathurin was more than just a goodbye-it was a reminder of how much these moves mean to the players involved. Trades aren’t just transactions; they’re turning points in careers, and they reshape locker rooms as much as they reshape rotations.
The Pacers are betting that Zubac’s presence in the paint can help them navigate the rest of this season while laying the groundwork for another deep playoff run once Haliburton returns. And for Mathurin, the change of scenery offers a chance to grow alongside one of the league’s most experienced cores.
This trade was about more than just filling a positional need. It was about identity, about timing, and about the balance between immediate performance and long-term vision. The Pacers are turning the page-with a new big man in the middle and a continued belief in the core that got them to the doorstep of a championship.