After Myles Turner left in free agency last summer, the Pacers rotated players such as Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff at center but ultimately decided they needed a proven veteran at the position.
General manager Chad Buchanan told Tony East of Forbes that Ivica Zubac became Indiana’s “number one clear target” before the trade deadline because of his fit, age, production, and character.
Despite being lottery-bound and able to wait until the offseason, the Pacers chose to act immediately rather than risk losing the opportunity.
“You just never know if you wait, is the opportunity still there? There could be other opportunities. There could be no opportunities. You just don’t know,” Buchanan said. “Other teams may have a need this summer and now you have more competition for a player. I kind of equate it as if there’s a race taking place for a championship – some teams are in the race, some teams are preparing for the race, some teams are watching the race. And we wanted to be in the race, not standing on the sidelines watching.”
The deal included a conditional 2026 first-round pick that conveys to the Clippers only if it falls between No. 5 and No. 9, allowing Indiana to protect the top of the draft. Buchanan acknowledged that acquiring Zubac required meaningful sacrifices.
“Ideally, you don’t have to give up anything, but hey, to get a good player, you’ve got to give up something too. There’s a little pain on both sides in any trade,” Buchanan said. “The pain for us is giving up two players that we drafted and developed and had a lot of good experiences together (Bennedict Mathurin and Jackson). And obviously the picks. On their end, they’re giving up a player who was a big part of who their organization was. Had a lot of longevity there, a lot of attachment emotionally to what he’d done for that team. So there’s always a little pain on both sides.”
Pacers Notes: Zubac, Jackson, Toppin, Roster https://t.co/R7Fj89Q4be pic.twitter.com/8lLVTSPHIr
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 13, 2026
