Sources: Clippers trading center Ivica Zubac to Pacers - ESPN

The LA Clippers are trading center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson as well as the Pacers' protected 2026 first round pick and unprotected 2029 first round pick are heading back to L.A. in the deal, sources said. The Pacers' 2026 selection is protected from picks Nos. 1-4 and 10-30; if the pick does not convey in 2026 it converts into a 2031 unprotected first-round pick.

The trade comes just a couple days after the Clippers moved point guard James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland, signaling a shift toward the future.

In Zubac, the Pacers land their center for the future to pair alongside franchise star Tyrese Haliburton after losing longtime starter Myles Turner in free agency last summer. Zubac, who turns 29 in March, broke out as a high-level starter last season, finishing sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting and being named to the All-Defensive second team. This season he's averaging 14.4 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 61.3% from the field.

Zubac, who turns 29 in March, is under contract for two more seasons after this one, averaging around $20 million in 2026-27 and 2027-28.