INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ivica Zubac got a brief glimpse into the Indiana Pacers track-like offense last season.
Then he went back to Europe, worked on his conditioning and returned to the U.S. early to figure out how he fit with his newest teammates.
No, the 7-foot, 240-pound Zubac doesn't really look like a natural in this rapid, high-scoring style, but he's doing everything he can to make a successful transition from traditional center to one who can keep
up with speedy All-Star Tyrese Haliburton and the rest of the Pacers.
“Once I rebound or inbound the ball, he (Haliburton)'s already looking ahead, throwing the ball ahead,” Zubac said. “I'm more used to point guards who spend more time with the ball, who hold the ball longer than him. He's getting off of it quick and it's the team in general. The system is based on making quick decisions and guys making quick reads.”
For Zubac, it's a new experience.
He spent his first 9 1/2 NBA seasons playing in Los Angeles — for either the Lakers or Clippers — and emerged as a defensive stalwart who was willing to mix it up around the rim while setting hard screens.
That's not how the Pacers have been playing since overhauling their roster following the acquisition of Haliburton near the trade deadline in 2022. Indiana's moves have been mostly to add quick, athletic players at each position so they can operate at full throttle. Even longtime center Myles Turner could run the court effectively.
But when Turner made the surprise decision to sign with the rival Milwaukee Bucks instead of returning to the Eastern Conference champs in July 2025, the Pacers were left with a glaring hole already knowing Haliburton would miss the entire season because of a torn right Achilles tendon. An early rash of injuries sealed Indiana's fate in a lost season.
So when the Pacers saw Zubac available at the trade deadline, they jumped — sending the Clippers two players and multiple draft picks, including a 2026 first-round selection that turned out to be an unprotected lottery pick. It was a costly move, but one they don't regret.
“I think as you look at last season into this offseason, I felt like and I think as a staff we felt that our team was right there — we're right on the cusp of being a championship team," general manager Chad Buchanan said. “So why should we be patient and wait for something else down the road? Why should we be thinking long term? Like it's right there in front of us and we felt like an opportunity to get a top 10 center in our league at that position was a big need for us. This is a player that fits what our roster needs right now.”
The Pacers believe Zubac will keep up with the pace and also will help improve facets that were weaknesses previously — setting screens to create open looks for 3-point shooters or on drives to the basket, rebounding and defense.
Zubac was a second-team All-NBA defensive selection in 2024-25. He was not eligible for the team last season because injuries limited him to just 48 games, including only five with the Pacers.
Still, it was enough to show Zubac what he needed to work on over the summer and, so far, Haliburton likes the early results.
“It's a different dynamic than playing with Myles in the sense of Myles is obviously more of a finesse player, a space shooter,” Haliburton said. “Zu is a guy who's really a very physical guy, hard screen-setter, roller, plays more above the rim with lobs and rebounding. It looks a little different, but honestly when I came into the league, I thought that was the archetype I needed to play with to be successful.”
Zubac has been through weeks of workouts now that started with what's become a regular trip to Nashville and morphed into full-court workouts before training camp opened.
How long it will take to get on the same page is unknown. What's not is coach Rick Carlisle's ability to adjust his plan to who he has available.
“Rick is a brilliant coach, and our coaching staff has shown the ability to adapt to different types of players and they'll figure out how to maximize some of the things maybe that he does that's different from how we have played," Buchanan said. "There's a lot of things Zu does bring to this group that I think will accentuate what we already have in-house."
And Zubac is eager to show he'll give the Pacers exactly what they need to be a championship contender, too.
“I don't think it's going to take long,” Zubac said when asked about the chemistry between him and Haliburton. “We didn't spend much time together on the court (before camp), but the time we did it felt really natural for me. It was never hard playing with smart point guards. We don't need much time to gel together. Like I said it's natural.”
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