BREAKING NEWS: Ivica Zubac onBREAKING NEWS: When the Lakers traded him to the Clippers, it was the best thing ever for the Lakers.
Ivica Zubac was a key part of the Clippers during the Paul George and Kawhi Leonard era, and was traded to the Clippers in the winter of 2019, joining the team before the two left for Los Angeles.
Which team sent him there?Los Angeles Lakers led by LeBron James.
Zubac appeared on Paul George’s podcast and reflected on the trade.
He said it was the easiest deal ever because he stayed in the same city.
“It was difficult…” I was in Boston, and I got a call 15 minutes before the deadline, and Magic and Rob got on the phone and said, “We’ll take your place.
” I said, “Tell me where you’re going,” and they said the Clippers.
“Okay, I’m in the same city, that’s fine.
.I was supposed to play in Boston, but I got substituted after the shooting.
” If you look at the Clippers’ schedule, they play Indiana and tomorrow they’re in Boston.
We didn’t have to change hotels, we played a game in Boston and came back to Los Angeles, same house, same everything.
It’s the easiest trade I’ve ever made.
” Zubac also said there was some apprehension in the Lakers’ locker room at the time about being traded, but he was grateful to be traded to a team that gave him a chance.
was.
“Young guys like Lonzo, Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and I were all worried about the deadline.
We didn’t know what was going to happen, but we knew something was going to happen.
I was there.
In the end, it was just me.
.
.I was told that you, a beginner, have a great chance.
I was grateful for that, they sent me wherever I wanted to play.
The winter that Zubac was traded was a very active winter for the Lakers.
There were rumors for most of the winter that they were going to trade Anthony Davis, but that never happened as the Pelicans rejected all offers.
This not only allowed the Lakers to acquire Davis in a summer trade (which they did), but it also allowed them to cut salary to make room for another star.
All of the Lakers’ moves were finalized when they won the NBA title, which resulted in the Lakers giving a core player like Mike Muscala to the Clippers in expiring salary.
Ivica Zubac is a core player for the Clippers When the Clippers acquired Zubac, he averaged 8.
5 points and 4.
5 rebounds in his 33 games with the Lakers.
Since joining the Clippers, Zubac has averaged 9.
9 points and 8.
4 rebounds in 360 games.
He has been firmly established as the team’s starting player for the past five years, and his position is rarely in question due to his solid playing ability.
He can rebound aggressively, protect the rim, and finish strong.
He is averaging 12.
4 points, 9.
7 rebounds, and 1.
4 blocks this season, making him the perfect center to anchor the team alongside James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George.
If the Clippers ultimately aim to win a title this season, Zubac will be a key part of their success.
He probably won’t get as much recognition as other players, but he got the Clippers through good times and bad.
In his five years with the franchise, Zubac has become a cult favorite, with many fans expressing his love for the center on a regular basis.
The Clippers won by a landslide in that trade, but the Lakers aren’t going to complain because their salary reduction in free agency in 2019 gave them the cap space to finally field a title team.