Sources: Ivica Zubac on his way to join LA Clippers in bubble
UPDATE: Sources have confirmed to Sports Illustrated that Ivica Zubac is on his way to the Orlando bubble.
The LA Clippers are getting their big man back.
On Friday afternoon, Ivica Zubac's fiance took to Instagram to share two images that hint at his trip to Orlando: The first being a picture of six suitcases by the front door, and the second a picture of him in the car, wearing a mask, with a caption that reads, "Miss you already."
While this isn't absolute confirmation that Zubac is on his way to the bubble, it's hard to imagine why else he would be packing so heavily.
Assuming Zubac is on his way to the bubble, the Clippers are in luck. The seven-footer has been an underrated talent for LA this season, playing solid basketball on both ends of the floor and building chemistry with star forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
LA is also a bit shorthanded at the moment, as Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet and Lou Williams are all out of the bubble for various reasons. Beverley, Harrell and Williams have each had their absences excused due to family emergencies, while Shamet still hasn't made his way down to the bubble after testing positive for the coronavirus on July 4.
This wasn't an issue for the Clippers in their first scrimmage game on Wednesday, as they defeated the Orlando Magic pretty handily and got solid minutes from Joakim Noah, who filled in at center.
The 35-year-old recorded four points, five rebounds and three assists in LA's 99-90 victory. After the game, he said it "felt great" to get back on the court for the first time in nearly 500 days.
Due to NBA protocol, Zubac won't be able to participate in Saturday's scrimmage between the Clippers and Washington Wizards, and there's a good chance he misses Monday's contest against the Sacramento Kings as well.
Fortunately, if everything goes according to plan, Zubac should be good to go on July 30, when the Clippers begin their seeding game slate vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.
