Ivica Zubac Has to Wait for His First Game Against the Clippers

When Clippers fans saw the Indiana Pacers on the schedule, many were excited to see Ivica Zubac at Intuit Dome again. Since the Pacers come to LA to face the Clippers only once per season, it was going to be a nice opportunity for fans to see Zu and thank him for his contributions for seven seasons. It turns out, however, they are going to have to wait a little longer as the veteran center is listed as out on Indiana's injury report ahead of Wednesday's clash.

As disappointing as this is for Clippers fans, this is not very surprising. Zubac has yet to make his Pacers debut as he is dealing with a left ankle sprain. This was an issue Zu was dealing with when he was in LA, as he missed five games in late December. He was able to return and perform at a high level until he was traded at the February 5 deadline.

Tanking Pacers Continue to Keep Ivica Zubac Sidelined

The moment Zubac arrived in Indiana, however, he was put on the shelf. The Pacers said that they wanted to give extra rest to allow him to fully heal. After a full month of not playing, Zubac remains without a timetable to return.

The main reason for Zubac's absence is obviously tanking. The Pacers desperately want to bottom out and increase their lottery odds in the 2026 NBA Draft. Indiana gets to keep its draft pick if it falls between 1 and 4, or 10 and 30. If it is between the fifth and the ninth pick, however, the Clippers get that pick as part of the Zubac trade.

Therefore, the Pacers have all the incentive in the world to lose as many games as possible between now and the end of the season. At 15-46, they are currently tied for the second-worst record in the NBA. As long as they finish with one of the three worst records, they have a 52.1% chance of landing and thus retaining a top-four pick.

Indiana's trade for Zubac was done with next season in mind. With Tyrese Haliburton still sidelined, the Pacers will be as patient as they can be with Zubac to make sure they don't win too many games. It wouldn't be too surprising if we never saw the Croatian center in a Pacers uniform this season.

Not only does tanking create competition problems, but it also prevents fans from seeing their favorite players in action. In this case, it's unfortunately Clippers fans who will have to wait until next season to see one of their favorites in action.