Ivica Zubac Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Clippers’ Ivica Zubac Signs Three-Year Extension

September 3rd, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

SEPTEMBER 3: The Clippers have officially signed Zubac to an extension, per a team press release.

“We don’t take for granted that we can pencil in our starting center and defensive anchor every night, every year,” team president Lawrence Frank said. “Zu is a rock for our organization and will remain so.”

AUGUST 30: The Clippers and starting center Ivica Zubac have reached an agreement on a three-year, $58.6MM extension, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Zubac was entering his walk year and will make $11,743,210 in 2024/25. His new deal will run through the 2027/28 season. The big man is the 14th player to sign a veteran extension since the end of last season, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

The contract represents the maximum three-year extension available under the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Zubac, who was eligible to receive up to 140% of this season’s estimated average salary, with 8% annual raises.

The breakdown of Zubac’s extension is as follows:

2025/26: $18,102,000
2026/27: $19,550,160
2027/28: $20,998,320

Zubac, who entered the league in 2016 with the Lakers, posted career highs of 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game last season. A traditional center who doesn’t venture out to the 3-point line, the 27-year-old shot 64.9% from the field and also averaged 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per contest.

Zubac is solidly entrenched as the Clippers’ starting center. Kawhi Leonard signed a three-year extension in January and the team brought back guard James Harden on a two-year deal but lost their other star forward, Paul George, to Philadelphia in free agency. The Clippers are replacing him in the lineup with Derrick Jones, who was signed to a three-year deal in free agency.

And-Ones: Nash, Petrovic, Campazzo, Olympics

August 25th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Arthur Hill

Steve Nash isn’t looking to return to coaching after his experience in Brooklyn, writes Mindaugas Bertys of BasketNews. Nash was somewhat of a surprising hire when the Nets tabbed him to be their head coach in 2020, overseeing a team that expected to contend for a title with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He compiled a 94-67 record in a little more than two years, but parted ways with the organization early in the 2022/23 season after the team got off to a 2-5 start.

“Coaching was a great experience for me and my family. I didn’t want to be a career coach. I just wanted to help that project,” Nash said during an appearance Saturday at Goran Dragic‘s farewell game. “I don’t feel like coaching is necessarily in my future. I’m very focused at this time on having as big an impact on my kids as possible.”

With five children, Nash told reporters that his duties as a father are his top priority. He compared the experience to being an “Uber driver,” but added that he hasn’t fully removed himself from basketball.

“At this stage of my life, it has been really rewarding,” Nash said. “That’s really where my focus is, but there are always projects, affiliations and partnerships, and things that are interesting, so I always have something going on.”

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Several current and former NBA players will take part in an exhibition game to honor the memory of Drazen Petrovic, per Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops. The event will take place September 5 in Zagreb to celebrate the legacy of the Croatian star, who was one of the first European players to make an impact in the NBA before he died in an auto accident in 1993. Bojan Bogdanovic, Dario Saric, Ivica Zubac, Damjan Rudez and Gordan Giricek are among the players scheduled to participate.
Facundo Campazzo, who spent three seasons with Denver and Dallas, talked to BasketNews about the differences between the NBA and international basketball and shared some advice he got from Nikola Jokic when he joined the Nuggets in 2020. “He came up to me and said, ‘Forget about everything you learned in FIBA basketball all these years. This is a different sport’ — and it was just like that,” Campazzo recalled. “It’s another way of facing the season, another way of practicing, of playing — also because the rules are different, the game is played in a different way. In fact, Jokic was the point guard. So I had to reinvent my way of playing, but he helped me a lot, it makes you a better player.”
Netflix will air a documentary series next year focusing on the 2024 Olympic basketball competition, according to BasketNews. The IOC granted unlimited access to camera crews throughout the qualification process and the games in France.

Fischer’s Latest: Clippers, George, Warriors, Mavs, KCP, Klay, Nuggets, More

June 30th, 2024 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

As they navigate the challenges of the second tax apron for 2024/25 and beyond, the Clippers have been adamant to this point that they don’t want to complete a contract longer than three years for any players, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Barring a change of heart, that means Los Angeles will be unwilling to go higher than three years for its own star free agents, Paul George and James Harden.

While Harden seems likely to end up on a new three-year agreement with the Clippers, per Fischer, that three-year limit has been a point of contention in negotiations with George. Both the Sixers and Magic – who are set to meet with George late on Sunday night – are willing to offer the star forward a four-year, maximum-salary contract, Fischer confirms.

Outside of the Clippers, Sixers, and Magic, there’s another team “lingering on the periphery” of the George situation, according to Fischer, who says the Jazz‘s “dreamiest plot” for the offseason would be to use their trade assets to acquire an impact player on the trade market (they pursued Mikal Bridges before Brooklyn agreed to send him to New York) and to use their cap room to land George. However, as Fischer acknowledges, it’s extremely unlikely that George will decide to sign in Utah.

Here’s more from Fischer’s latest rumor round-up, with the official start of free agency just hours away:

The trade options the Warriors have considered – using Chris Paul and/or Andrew Wiggins as outgoing pieces – range from giving up draft picks in a deal for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram to acquiring a pick along with Bulls guard Zach LaVine, sources tell Fischer. If they don’t find a trade they like and lose Klay Thompson via free agency, the Warriors will have the full mid-level exception available. They’re considering possible targets using that MLE, says Fischer.
The Mavericks likely would have attempted to make a trade with the Nuggets to acquire Kentavious Caldwell-Pope if he had picked up his $15.4MM player option, Fischer reports. Now that Caldwell-Pope has opted for free agency, Thompson appears to be the free agent wing most likely to end up in Dallas, according to Fischer, who says Thompson also continues to be one of the Sixers‘ secondary targets if they miss out on George.
As for Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets are preparing to lose him, with the Sixers and Magic both holding “strong” interest in the veteran swingman, per Fischer. A deal with one of those cap-room teams in the range of $50MM over two years could be a possibility for KCP, Fischer adds.
Having traded away Reggie Jackson, the Nuggets are in the market for a backup point guard. Sources tell Fischer that Russell Westbrook would have been a target using the taxpayer mid-level exception if he had opted out of his contract with the Clippers. Fischer also mentioned Hornets guard Vasilije Micic as a Denver target, noting that Zeke Nnaji – who is on the trade block – could be sent out in a deal for Micic.
The Nuggets have also long had interest in big man Dario Saric, who could be a target in free agency, Fischer says.
While it won’t be one of their top short-term priorities as free agency begins, the Clippers are expected to eventually work out an extension with center Ivica Zubac, sources tell Yahoo Sports.

International Notes: Slovenia, Doncic, Croatia, South Sudan, Siulepa

June 5th, 2024 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Slovenian national team has officially announced the 16 players who will make up its preliminary roster for the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece next month (Twitter link). While the 16-man group features currently Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar and a couple other players with prior NBA experience (Zoran Dragic and Mike Tobey), the headliner is Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

Slovenia obviously hopes that Doncic will be available to help the team try to claim one of the final four Olympic berths this summer, and the Mavs star said on Wednesday that he wants to do so, despite battling knee issues this spring, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets. Doncic still has one more series to get through, so his availability in Greece will presumably hinge on how he’s feeling at the conclusion of the NBA Finals.

Here’s more from around the international basketball world:

Croatia, which will be in Slovenia’s group at the qualifying tournament in Greece, has also announced a preliminary roster for that event. Warriors forward Dario Saric and Clippers center Ivica Zubac are among the 17 players who are candidates to make up the 12-man roster, while former NBA wing Mario Hezonja is one of the other notable names in that group.
South Sudan, which has already qualified for the Olympics based on its results at last year’s World Cup, revealed a 25-man preliminary roster for Paris (Twitter link). Some of the biggest names in the mix for roster spots include Bol Bol, Wenyen Gabriel, Thon Maker, JT Thor, and World Cup star Carlik Jones.
Seventeen-year-old Australian prospect Roman Siulepa is signing with the Tasmania JackJumpers as part of the National Basketball League’s Next Stars program, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Givony identifies Siulepa as one of the most promising international prospects in his age group, noting that the 6’7″ small forward has averaged 21.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in the second division of Australia’s NBL this season.

International Notes: Caboclo, Brown, Nunn, Pre-Draft Camp

June 2nd, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Bruno Caboclo‘s future with KK Partizan could be in jeopardy after he recently left the team without permission to travel to Orlando, according to BasketNews.

The Serbian club announced sanctions on Caboclo for “setting a precedent” for his teammates, although the details weren’t released. Partizan will start a best-of-three playoff series with Crvena Zvezda on Monday.

The team said Caboclo “allegedly” traveled to Florida as part of his duties with the Brazilian national team, but a report from Mozzart Sport states that he was attending a child custody hearing. Caboclo reportedly asked for permission to attend the hearing nearly two weeks ago, but the request was denied because it conflicted with preparing for the playoffs.

The announcement from Partizan notes that the team has an option to keep Caboclo under contract, but no decision has been made. The 28-year-old forward has been playing overseas since his last NBA appearance during the 2020/21 season.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Former NBA point guard Lorenzo Brown has no intention of leaving Maccabi Tel Aviv, BasketNews adds in a separate story. Brown holds a Spanish passport that enables him to play for Spain’s national team, and there were rumors that he might consider signing with Real Madrid. “I have no idea what is happening and where these rumors come from. I read a lot, like all of you, but I fully intend to stay at Maccabi. I’m very comfortable here,” he said. “I think this is the best place I’ve ever played. I’m looking forward to the next season to start a new journey together with my teammates.”
Kendrick Nunn led Panathinaikos to the EuroLeague title, but he may not have joined the Greek team without an assist from NBA veteran Goran Dragic, Eurohoops relays. In an interview with Meridian Sport, Panathinaikos sporting director Sani Becirovic talked about the role Dragic played in recruiting Nunn. “Goran Dragic helped me a lot there. At the time, Kendrick was training with Zoran Dragic in Miami, so Goran allowed me to explain everything to him,” Becirovic said. “… It still wasn’t easy getting an important NBA player to leave Disneyland. That was the hardest.”
A few NBA players and a collection of assistant coaches are attending a pre-draft camp for international prospects in Treviso this weekend, according to Eurohoops. James Harden, Nikola Jovic, Vasilije Micic and Ivica Zubac made an appearance and signed autographs at adidas EuroCamp.