The Lakers’ Zubac Trade Still Stings - and a Missed Kareem Connection Adds to the Regret
It’s been years since the Lakers shipped Ivica Zubac across the hallway to the Clippers in a 2019 trade that still leaves fans shaking their heads. At the time, it was a puzzling move - Zubac, just 21 years old, was showing real promise as a developing big man. In return, the Lakers got Mike Muscala, a veteran stretch big who never quite made an impact in purple and gold.
Now, with the benefit of hindsight, that deal looks even worse - not just because of what Zubac became with the Clippers, but because of what he could’ve become with the Lakers, had he been given the right mentorship. And that’s where this story takes a deeper turn.
Zubac recently opened up about his early days with the Lakers, and he dropped a nugget that adds another layer to the frustration. According to the center, none other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - the NBA’s all-time leading scorer at the time and arguably the greatest Laker big man of all time - wanted to mentor him.
Zubac said they had already started working out together when Kareem expressed interest in taking on a more formal role with the Lakers to help develop the young bigs. But that opportunity never materialized.
“After a few workouts, he told me he wanted to mentor me and work for the Lakers,” Zubac said. “After that, he had a meeting with Magic, and I don’t know what happened there, but he never got a job with the Lakers. He wanted some kind of role with the team just to work with me and the big guys, but unfortunately that never happened.”
Let that sink in for a moment. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - a six-time champion, six-time MVP, and the embodiment of Laker greatness - wanted to help shape the future of the franchise’s frontcourt. And the door was closed.
At the time, Magic Johnson was serving as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations. He had his wins - most notably landing LeBron James - but the Zubac trade and the reported decision not to bring Kareem into the fold stand out as major missteps. It’s hard to imagine a franchise with the Lakers’ resources and legacy turning down that kind of mentorship opportunity, especially for a young center who clearly had potential.
Zubac, for his part, has carved out a solid career with the Clippers. He’s become a reliable double-double threat, a physical presence in the paint, and a key piece of a playoff-caliber team. It’s not hard to envision him doing the same in a Lakers uniform - particularly if he’d had a Hall of Famer in his corner, teaching him the nuances of footwork, timing, and the mental approach to the game.
And it’s not just about Zubac. The idea of Kareem mentoring the Lakers’ bigs - a group that has included names like Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard (in his second stint), and others - feels like a no-brainer. The Lakers have long prided themselves on honoring their legends, but this was a case where the connection between past and future was never fully realized.
Zubac still looks back fondly on the time he did get with Abdul-Jabbar. Even if it was brief, those workouts clearly left a mark.
And while he’s found success elsewhere, the “what if” lingers - what if the Lakers had held onto him? What if Kareem had been brought in to guide his development?
With Mark Walter now the majority owner, the hope is that mistakes like this stay in the past. The Lakers are one of the NBA’s marquee franchises for a reason - talent, tradition, and an unmatched connection to the game’s greatest players. But that only works when those elements are allowed to come together.
In Zubac’s case, the Lakers had a promising young big, a willing mentor in one of the greatest to ever do it, and a chance to build something special. Instead, they let it slip away - and the Clippers were more than happy to pick up the pieces.