Ivica Zubac Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Notes: Post-Deadline Expectations, Powell, Rotation, Zubac

February 22nd, 2025 at 9:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Clippers retooled their rotation at the deadline, bringing in Bogdan Bogdanovic, Drew Eubanks, Patty Mills and MarJon Beauchamp via trade while also adding Ben Simmons from the buyout market. With the new-look roster comes rejuvenated expectations for the stretch run of the season, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.

“It’s good for us to start over, I think offensively,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “[We need to] just to get better and do the things we need to do that’s necessary to win games. Just be better at executing what we’re trying to do. It’s going to take a little bit of time as far as rotations and how we play guys together and things like that. But from a basketball standpoint, I’m kind of excited about it.”

Bogdanovic and Simmons in particular have logged big minutes since arriving in Los Angeles, while Eubanks is also expected to play a modest role. Both Bogdanovic and Simmons have been effective off the bench. Simmons reportedly was deciding between the Clippers and the Cavaliers as he negotiated a buyout agreement with Brooklyn, ending up with Los Angeles in a sizable role.

“I’m excited man, I mean Ben brings a skill set that we don’t have other than myself, his passing ability and his speed pushing the ball in the offense to get guys involved,” teammate James Harden said.

The arrival of five new players isn’t the only reason the Clippers are operating under a renewed identity. Star Kawhi Leonard returned from an offseason knee injury and only topped the 30-minute mark for the first time on Feb. 6, Carr notes.

“I think every team needs to, wants to come out the All-Star break and be playing with [a high intensity],” Harden said. “If we want to get to where we want to go, the time is now. We added some shooting, we added some defense and obviously with a healthy Kawhi we’ve got a chance to compete with anybody. So, I think for us, it’s just finding out how we want to play and attacking it.”

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Guard Norman Powell was added to the Clippers’ injury report on Thursday with left knee soreness and went on to miss the contest against Milwaukee (Twitter links via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and The Athletic’s Law Murray). It marked Powell’s 10th missed game of the season. The Most Improved Player candidate will have to play at least 20 of the team’s remaining 27 contests to qualify for award consideration.
The absence of Powell and the ongoing integration of the newcomers had Lue searching for the right combination in the rotation on Thursday, Murray writes. Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. are cycling in and out of the starting lineup while Amir Coffey earned a starting nod on Thursday in Powell’s place. Additionally, Murray opines that the team will need to optimize lineups involving Simmons. Lineups featuring both Simmons and Ivica Zubac struggled against Milwaukee.
In the same story, Murray notes that Zubac has been less involved in the fourth quarter than in the rest of the game as of late. The Clippers’ starting center didn’t attempt a field goal in the fourth against the Bucks, the fifth time in six games that’s occurred. Zubac said he’s “trying to figure it out” when it comes to his role in the offense in the fourth.

Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Looney, Payton, Hayes, Bronny, Clippers

January 30th, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Dana Gauruder

Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II have all been mentioned as potential trade candidates. The Warriors‘ trio put on a show on Wednesday as the team upset Oklahoma City, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic notes. They combined for 60 of Golden State’s 116 points.

Afterward, Wiggins and Looney indicated they’d like to stay put.

“Sometimes it can be disappointing if you want to stay,” Wiggins said. “If you enjoy things somewhere. Your family is here. You got relationships. So it’s not easy. It’s a business.”

“Yeah, I want to stay,” Looney said. “I know what the game is. I’ve been here long enough. My locker mate’s changed a lot of times. It might be my time. Who knows? That’s the NBA. I definitely will not be sleeping that night, whenever that time is for the trade deadline. I’m gonna be up.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes will make his fourth start of the season against Washington on Thursday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets. Hayes will fill in for Anthony Davis, who’s out at least a week with an abdominal strain. Hayes will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Bronny James received some first-half minutes against Philadelphia on Tuesday and it didn’t go well, Lakers coach JJ Redick admits. The rookie missed all five of his field goal attempts, committed three turnovers and was targeted at the defensive end. “Maybe put him in a tough spot,” Redick said, per McMenamin. “Flying up yesterday, nationally televised game in Philly and all that stuff. He didn’t play well, but he’s been playing great in the stay-ready games, and he’s been playing great in the G [League].”
The Athletic’s Law Murray breaks down the Clippers’ roster into tiers as the trade deadline approaches. He lists Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac as the only untouchables — in Zubac’s case, he signed an extension in September which makes him ineligible to be dealt this season.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Leonard, Zubac, Post, Schroder, Hield

January 23rd, 2025 at 9:41am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns’ pursuit of Jimmy Butler has been big news for weeks in NBA circles. They also acquired center Nick Richards last week and made a draft-pick trade with Utah this week, seemingly with an eye toward additional deals.

The best thing the Phoenix players can do is tune out all the trade chatter, Kevin Durant told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

“It’s just a part of the game now,” Durant said. “We know it’s important. The locker room is sacred. The bus is sacred. Hotel, walkthrough, all that stuff is sacred. It’s stuff we don’t talk about. It’s a brotherhood in here, but we know the noise is going to always be going on around us. As much as we can bunker down and focus on one another, the better we are as a group.

“It’s a business, though. We understand it’s a business. Anything can happen in this business. We traded one our brothers, Josh (Okogie) to Charlotte and that happened pretty quickly. We’ve just got to focus on in one one another and keep grinding.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Clippers almost defeated the Celtics without four of their starters on Wednesday. Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac all sat out, yet they took the Celtics to overtime (story via The Associated Press). Leonard sat out due to right knee injury management but he has shown flashes of his old self in recent games. He scored 19 efficient points in 24-plus minutes against the Lakers on Sunday. “I’m happy with the progress,” Leonard told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “For me, it’s just about how I’m feeling and I’m coming out of the games feeling great. But I still got work to do and we’re going to keep taking each step.”
Zubac, who missed Wednesday’s game due to an eye injury, is averaging a career-best 15.0 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night. He’s been a steadying force with Leonard sidelined most of the season. “I’ve been confident in my game. I always knew what I could do. It was just not my role (previously),” Zubac told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register.
Warriors two-way player Quinten Post got some court time on Wednesday, contributing five points and six rebounds in 15 minutes, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. Coach Steve Kerr says he’ll continue to hunt opportunities to play Post, as he gives the offense a different look with his ability to help spread the floor. Kerr moved Dennis Schröder to the bench in favor of Buddy Hield, who contributed 17 points in 25 minutes. Schröder, who had started in his first 17 games since being acquired from Brooklyn, had seven points and five assists in 21 minutes. Kerr wants Schröder on the floor when Stephen Curry is getting a rest and also likes the chemistry between Curry and Hield, Youngmisuk adds in another tweet.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kuminga, LeBron, Zubac, Sabonis

December 14th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors‘ late-game issues came to a head on Thursday in their last-second loss to the Rockets. They led by six points with just over a minute left, but let the lead slip away, culminating in a late-game call that head coach Steve Kerr called “unconscionable.”

For what it’s worth, the NBA said that call — a personal foul on a loose ball scramble that resulted in Houston getting game-winning free throws — was correct, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. The NBA said of the foul that Jonathan Kuminga reached “over [Jalen] Green in an attempt to get to the ball and pulled his shoulder down.”

Right call or not, the Warriors know they need to be better in late-game situations, Anthony Slater of the Athletic writes. Golden State ranks 27th in the league in field goal percentage in clutch situations.

“The pattern of scoreless droughts down the stretch has to be addressed or else we’ll be a mediocre team,” Stephen Curry said. “I’ll take responsibility for not being able to get us organized and not being able to finish plays. Ball’s in my hands. I got to make shots.

“But I think we can all address certain sets that can get us into better shot-creation type opportunities knowing how teams are trying to guard us, especially the last five minutes. We’re talking about it. We’re experimenting. That’ll be the defining point of our entire season. If we figure it out or if we don’t. Because we’re playing well enough to win most games. That’s a good sign and a bad sign.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kuminga is getting every opportunity to break out, having being heavily featured in Golden State’s five games in December. He’s averaging 21.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per night this month. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), owner Joe Lacob still has an affinity for Kuminga, but it’s important to note that the two sides were far off on an extension this summer. There’s hope that clarity on Kuminga’s future will come during this stretch of increased playing time amid rumors that the former No. 7 overall pick could change hands in a trade for a star.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said Friday that he’s not sure when LeBron James will return to the team after a second straight absence, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes. James is out with foot soreness and was also granted an excused absence due to personal reasons. James hasn’t played since Dec. 6.
The Clippers are getting Ivica Zubac‘s best night in and night out amid a career season, The Orange County Register’s Janis Carr writes. Zubac is averaging career highs in points (14.7) and rebounds (12.2) per game while the Clippers are 14-12 despite a current three-game losing streak.
Arvydas Sabonis enjoyed a successful NBA career, becoming a Trail Blazers’ mainstay in the 1990s. In a feature story for ESPN, Baxter Holmes explores the connection the senior Sabonis has with his son Domantas, who is carrying the torch from his father while being a star for the Kings. “I’m very happy the Sabonis blood is there and showing [well],” Arvydas said. “My story, it ended short. Now comes a Sabonis with a long story.” I highly recommend checking out the story in full.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Harrison Barnes Named Players Of The Week

November 25th, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the Player of the Week for the Eastern Conference, while Spurs forward Harrison Barnes has won the award in the West, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a perfect 4-0 week from November 18-24, helping the team climb out of the hole it dug itself early in the season. After dropping eight of their first 10 games this fall, the Bucks now rank sixth in the East at 8-9.

The two-time MVP averaged 32.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 34.3 minutes per game in victories over Houston, Chicago, Indiana, and Charlotte. He made 61.2% of his 21.3 field goal attempts per game for the week.

While it was the 24th career Player of the Week award for Antetokounmpo, it’s a first-time honor for Barnes, who has appeared in 928 regular season games since entering the NBA as the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft.

According to the Spurs, Barnes is the first player since the Player of the Week award was introduced in 1979 to earn the first one of his career in his 13th season (or later). Barnes is also the first Spur to be named Player of the Week since DeMar DeRozan in January 2020, per the team.

Barnes’ Spurs went 3-0 this week, registering upset victories over the Thunder on Tuesday and the Warriors on Saturday. The 32-year-old forward played a key role, averaging 22.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .618/.600/.727 shooting line.

The other nominees for the Eastern Conference award were Hornets teammates LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, Celtics teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Heat swingman Jimmy Butler, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome, Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, and Magic forward Franz Wagner.

In the West, Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Clippers teammates James Harden and Ivica Zubac, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, and Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins were also nominated (Twitter link).

Pacific Notes: Curry, Melton, Zubac, Davis, Ellis

October 28th, 2024 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors star guard Stephen Curry will miss at least the next two games due to a left ankle sprain, Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes.

Curry underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, which occurred during Sunday night’s home opener against the Clippers during the third quarter. He returned to the game with eight minutes remaining in the fourth, then twisted the same ankle.

He will be reevaluated on Friday.

“The MRI was positive,” coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s the main thing. No significant damage.”

De’Anthony Melton will also miss the next two games due to a back injury. He underwent an MRI which revealed no structural damage. Melton missed 44 games last season with the Sixers because of back problems.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Clippers center Ivica Zubac signed a three-year, $58.6MM extension this offseason and has been a force on both ends in the early going, earning a nomination for conference Player of the Week. “It’s only three games, but I’m trying to bring the consistency,” he said, per Law Murray of The Athletic. “I’m trying to keep it up as long as I can. I’m trying to bring the same stuff every night to the teammates so they can count on me on the defensive end and the offensive end. They can count on me to do that — protect the rim, score in the post, finish around the rim.” Zubac is averaging 22.7 points, 14.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
Zubac didn’t earn Player of the Week honors due to Anthony Davis‘ overpowering start. The Lakers big man averaged 34 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.7 steals in the first three games. “Being aggressive every time down the floor. Being dominant every game,” Davis told Mark Medina of Athlon Sports. “Doing my job, doing my part in helping this team do what we got to do. That’s taking on a matchup defensively, taking on a role offensively, being a leader of the team, carrying us in games, playoffs, whatever it takes.”
Keon Ellis appeared in 57 games for the Kings, including 21 starts, last season. However, he never left the bench against the Lakers on Saturday. Coach Mike Brown indicated prior to Sacramento’s game on Monday that Ellis is a victim of numbers. “It’s just about a minutes crunch more than anything else, and second it’s a situation thing,” Brown said, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis Named Players Of The Week

October 28th, 2024 at 2:47pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum and Lakers star forward/center Anthony Davis were named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the stretch of Oct. 22-27, the league announced (Twitter link). Tatum was the Eastern Conference’s winner, while Davis claimed the Western Conference award.

Tatum helped the Celtics to a 3-0 start to the season, which included blowout wins over the Knicks and Wizards. In his first three games, Tatum averaged 33.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting a blistering 54.7% from the field and 48.6% from beyond the arc.

Davis has also shot the ball extremely well to open the year, connecting on a .571/.400/.800 line. He has helped the Lakers win against three playoff hopefuls this year, defeating the Timberwolves, Suns and Kings to remain undefeated. Davis is averaging 34.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.7 steals per game to open the year.

According to the league (Twitter link), the other nominees in the East were Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, Orlando’s Franz Wagner and Atlanta’s Trae Young. Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, the Clippers’ James Harden and Ivica Zubac, and the Lakers’ LeBron James were nominated in the West.

Pacific Notes: Curry, K. Anderson, Zubac, Huerter, Kessler

October 28th, 2024 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Stephen Curry‘s sprained left ankle represents the first bit of adversity for a Warriors team that had been on an upward swing since training camp, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.

Curry underwent an MRI Sunday night to determine the severity of the sprain, but Thompson notes that Rick Celebrini, the team’s vice president of player health and performance, tends to be cautious with injured players. Even if the sprain is mild, Curry is likely to miss back-to-back games with New Orleans on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Thompson, and may be given a full week off.

Thompson notes that Curry’s absence will be a test for the “strength in numbers” approach adopted by general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. after failing to land another star during the offseason. With a wealth of wing players, coach Steve Kerr has been using a 12-man rotation early in the season to keep everyone involved. That means there will be some nights when players don’t get their expected minutes, and Kerr singled out Kyle Anderson for understanding that Sunday night.

“I only went to Kyle for four minutes,” Kerr said, “and he was amazing the second half on the bench, leading everybody, talking to guys. That’s what you have to have if you’re going to do this and play a lot of people. Everyone’s got to be on board. I couldn’t have been more impressed by Kyle’s professionalism.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Ivica Zubac posted 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists Sunday as the Clippers topped Golden State to continue their surprising start, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Zubac has scored at least 20 points in each of his first three games, joining Bob McAdoo as the only centers in franchise history to achieve that feat. “It’s only been three games, but I’m trying to bring the consistency,” Zubac said. “I’m trying to keep it up as long as I can. I’m trying to bring the same stuff every night for my teammates so they can count on me. They can count on me on the defensive end and the offensive end and count on me to rebound, to protect the rim, score in the post, finish around the rim. So I’m trying my best to bring that intensity.”
Kings guard Kevin Huerter scored 14 points Saturday night, marking his first productive game since having surgery on his left shoulder, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. After being limited to two points on opening night, Huerter was relieved when he got his first three-pointer to fall. “Yeah, it felt good to get the first one,” he said. “It always does. That long of a layoff, you just need to see it go in, so it felt good to get that.”
In a recent video, Jovan Buha of The Athletic suggests Jazz center Walker Kessler as a trade possibility for the Lakers as they look for a reliable big man to pair with Anthony Davis (hat tip to Jared Koch of Sports Illustrated).
The Lakers‘ G League affiliate in South Bay recently announced its training camp roster. Familiar names include two-way players Armel Traore, Christian Koloko and Quincy Olivari.

Los Angeles Notes: Guthrie, Lakers Trade Targets, West, Clippers Rotation

September 10th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are hiring Zach Guthrie as the head coach of their NBA G League affiliate in South Bay, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The G League team has confirmed the hiring (Twitter link).

Guthrie had been an assistant with the Wizards since 2021. He also spent a season with Dallas and four seasons with Utah. Additionally, Guthrie served as the manager of advanced scouting for the Magic and was an assistant video coordinator for two years with the Spurs.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

Zach LaVine, Trae Young, Jerami Grant and Brandon Ingram are among the rival players who could be linked to the Lakers in trade rumors this season, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report writes. Noting that the Lakers are pushed up against the second tax apron, Pincus believes that a trade would be their only path toward improving the roster. He takes a look at a dozen potential trade targets.
The Lakers will wear a No. 44 band on the left shoulder of their uniforms this season to honor Jerry West, according to ESPN Dave McMenamin. West played all 14 years of his Hall of Fame career with the team. He later served as a coach and executive with the organization. West, who was also a consultant for the Clippers beginning in 2017, died in June at the age of 86.
Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac, who have all signed new contracts in 2024, are the only surefire starters for the Clippers. How will the rest of the lineup and rotation shake out? The Athletic’s Law Murray tackles that subject, speculating that free agent addition Derrick Jones Jr. and Terance Mann will likely join the above trio in the starting five with Norman Powell preferably slotted in a super-sub role. Two other offseason additions, Nicolas Batum and Kris Dunn, should also claim rotation spots.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, LaVine, Zubac, Suns

September 5th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Tristan Tucker

As has been covered at length this summer, the Lakers‘ only outside additions to their standard roster this offseason came in the form of draftees Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.

“They’re stuck,” one Eastern Conference executive said of the Lakers, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

A Western Conference executive who spoke to Woike said the Lakers should consider adding Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time. LaVine’s contract (he’s owed nearly $138MM over the next three seasons, including a 2026/27 player option) has been a holdup in getting a deal done. If the Lakers were to pursue such a trade, Woike points out that it would have to be constructed around D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and either Jarred Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent to match salary since L.A. can’t take in more than it sends out.

The downside would be LaVine’s injury concerns and his questionable fit in a role that would require more from him on defense and less on offense. However, Woike doesn’t get the sense the Lakers are all that interested in LaVine, suggesting that they’re more concerned with seeing how a roster with more continuity performs. Additionally, Woike reasons the Bulls could stand to hold LaVine and try to rebuild his value this season.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Clippers center Ivica Zubac received a 5% trade kicker as part of his three-year extension, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). That means if Zubac is traded, he’d be eligible for a bonus worth 5% of the remaining salary on his contract. The highest percentage allowed on a trade kicker is 15%.
Despite being one of the most efficient three-point shooting teams in the league, the Suns only ranked 25th in attempts, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes. That should change in 2024/25, with Tyus Jones, Monte Morris and a healthy Damion Lee among players who could help in that regard. Bourguet runs through several statistical red flags the Suns should look to address under Mike Budenholzer, including how they attack the rim and playing more in transition.
In a similar article for PHNX Sports (subscriber link), Bourguet outlines one area for improvement for every player on the Suns‘ roster, excluding rookies and two-way players. For my money, it’ll be interesting to see how Bradley Beal continues to adapt to being an off-ball third option. His scoring decreased last season (to 18.2 PPG) as he played fewer than 60 games for the third straight season. If he’s fully healthy, it will be intriguing to see if he can resemble the form of the player who recorded back-to-back 30 PPG seasons from 2019-21.