Clippers Notes: Kawhi, Lue, Investigation, Garland, Offseason
A couple days after Kawhi Leonard declined to discuss his future, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank reaffirmed the Clippers‘ commitment to the star forward, writes Kris Rhim of ESPN.com.
“Our plan is to win with Kawhi,” Frank said. “We obviously showed as an organization that we want to continue and we are driven to win. So, at the appropriate time, we’ll sit down with Kawhi, and very similar to 2024, lay out our plan. And if our goals are aligned, then we’d like to win with Kawhi.”
The two-time Finals MVP is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $50.3MM in 2026/27. He’ll be eligible this offseason to sign a two-year extension.
As Rhim notes, the Clippers made a couple major trades ahead of the February deadline, sending James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland and Ivica Zubac to Indiana for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and two first-round picks. Frank thinks those moves put the team in a better position to contend in the future.
“I think we do have great hope and optimism with our future,” he said. “Because as we build that bridge from competitive to contender, we’ve put ourselves in a very good position with emerging young players, draft capital and cap space going forward.”
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Law Murray of The Athletic passes along several more quotes from Frank’s 45-minute press conference. The longtime executive confirmed head coach Tyronn Lue, who is under contract until 2029, isn’t going anywhere, as Murray previously reported. “I thought Ty and the staff did an unbelievable job of, every day, showing up with a great spirit, and just kept at it,” Frank said. “Ty’s an incredible coach, an incredible partner. And one of the characteristics we look for, not just in staff, but also in players, are people who are driven to improve. And all of us, you know, are very much driven to improvement.”
- Frank also doubled down on comments he made at the beginning of 2025/26, expressing confidence that the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration won’t result in a significant punishment for the franchise. “If you know (owner) Steve (Ballmer) and know Steve’s integrity, you know there’s nothing to it,” Frank said. “And I can’t comment on the investigation, but I will stand by what I said up here back in September, October, whenever it was, that, you know, we believe and we’re very confident we’re on the right side of this.”
- Frank said he’d like to see Garland focus on adding strength to his frame in addition to getting healthy after dealing with a nagging toe injury for most of the last year, Murray writes. “The offseason is the time where you can make great gains with your body,” Frank said. “And I think when you look at the — in this league — smaller guards who have been able to excel, it’s the strength part of it.”
- Frank said the team needs to improve its rebounding, secondary ball-handling, and shooting, according to Murray, who points out that Frank made similar comments last year.
- Determining Leonard’s future, finding a workable contract with Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent, and looking for a new starting center should be the Clips’ top three priorities entering the offseason, per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Clippers Notes: Lue, Garland, Kawhi, Offseason, CP3
The Clippers have registered an NBA-best 15 consecutive winning seasons, but they’ve gone five straight years without winning a playoff series and, after Wednesday’s loss to Golden State, have now failed to make it out of the play-in tournament twice during those five years, writes Law Murray of The Athletic.
Following an unceremonious end to a turbulent season, the Clippers’ next steps are unclear. A league source tells Murray that head coach Tyronn Lue – under contract through 2029 – isn’t going anywhere this offseason, and neither is the team’s new point guard of the present and future, Darius Garland. But beyond that, everything is in flux.
Kawhi Leonard‘s future, which he declined to discuss after Wednesday’s loss, is the biggest question mark hanging over the franchise. A league source tells Murray that the Clippers don’t believe the NBA’s investigation into Leonard’s alleged no-show endorsement deal with Aspiration will result in a significant punishment for the franchise — or in the star forward’s contract being voided. But even if that’s the case, Leonard will have to be traded or extended in order to avoid having him play out an expiring contract in 2026/27.
And beyond Leonard, there are several decisions facing the Clippers up and down their roster. John Collins, whom Murray describes as a good locker room fit, will be an unrestricted free agent, while newcomer Bennedict Mathurin is entering restricted free agency. The team holds options on Brook Lopez, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nicolas Batum, Jordan Miller, and Kobe Sanders, while defensive aces Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. will be eligible for extensions.
As the Clippers prepare for an eventful offseason, here are a few notes on the club:
- Garland, who underwent surgery on his left big toe last offseason and sprained his right big toe earlier in the season, said on Wednesday that he has been playing on “nine toes,” per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Garland explained, the right toe feels fine now, but the left one has remained an issue. The guard’s goal this offseason is to “get healthy.”
- Previewing the Clippers’ summer, ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggests that adding frontcourt help and acquiring a play-maker to back up Garland should be priorities for the club. Marks also points out that operating as an under-the-cap team is a possibility, though it would require L.A. to part ways with several role players, so operating above the cap seems more likely. The Clippers should have more than enough flexibility to re-sign Mathurin and use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception if Collins isn’t re-signed, Marks adds.
- Over four months after the Clippers announced they were parting ways with him, Chris Paul wasn’t shedding any tears when their season ended on Wednesday. As Murray notes (via Twitter), the veteran point guard posted the “I stopped by one of my biggest hater’s funeral” meme on his Instagram account shortly after L.A. was eliminated.
Free Agent Stock Watch: L.A. Clippers
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents – or could become free agents – during the 2026 offseason. We’ll consider whether each player’s stock is rising or falling due to his performance and several other factors.
Today, we’re focusing on a handful of players on the Clippers, who have 10 potential free agents this summer, tied for the second-most in the NBA.
Pacers Notes: Jones, Sheppard, Mathurin, I. Jackson, Walker
Kam Jones‘ contract for next season is only 50% guaranteed, prompting Forbes contributor Tony East to consider what the Pacers might do with the rookie guard this offseason. East suggests that pushing back Jones’ guarantee date from June 30 to sometime in July, allowing him to play for Indiana’s Summer League team, is one option the two sides could explore.
The 38th overall pick of last year’s draft, Jones’ NBA debut was delayed until late December due to a back injury, and he has been in and out of the rotation the past few months, East notes. While the former Marquette standout is technically under contract through 2028/29, the final two seasons are fully non-guaranteed.
Jones’ future with the Pacers could be tied to whether or not the team keeps its top-four protected pick in the upcoming draft, East observes, since Indiana doesn’t have many roster spots available. Keeping Jones or waiving him and using the stretch provision to spread his 2026/27 cap hit over multiple seasons are among the other options for the Pacers, East adds.
Here’s more from Indiana:
- Third-year guard Ben Sheppard will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. After a slow start to the season amid a wave of backcourt injuries, Sheppard has found his footing since he returned from a calf strain in late December, showing growth on the offensive end while taking on difficult defensive assignments, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). “I’ve been able to experiment within my game and my comfort level this season,” Sheppard said. “Just all the moving pieces, people coming in and out, offensive rhythm has been kinda off, but with all my coaches in my corner and my teammates in my corner just trying to be more aggressive and take my opportunities as they come. I feel like I’ve been finding my shot a lot of different ways that I haven’t gotten last year or the year before. Just creating a little bit more and just looking at the rim more.”
- In a story for his website Circle City Spin, East takes an inside look at the returns of Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, who faced the Pacers in Indianapolis on Friday night for the first time since they were traded to the Clippers ahead of the February deadline. The former first-round picks received a tribute video and a warm reception from fans during the first stoppage in play, which Mathurin appreciated. “It meant the world. Indy is like my first home. I was able to get drafted over here. Just being loved by the fans,” Mathurin said. “I love the fans. I would say that they were the best fans in the world. Now, we have a different group of fans. It’s all love.” Head coach Rick Carlisle called the moment “heartwarming” and said he was happy both players have played well for Los Angeles, per East. “We just weren’t going to be able to make it work with Benn contractually,” Carlisle said of Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent in a few months (Twitter link via East).
- Jarace Walker suffered a head injury in the first quarter of Friday’s contest and was later ruled out for the remainder of the one-point loss because he was being evaluating for a concussion (Twitter link). Carlisle didn’t have much of an update on the third-year forward afterward, according to East. “I don’t know that he’s going to be in concussion protocol… we’ll see what’s what on Sunday,” Carlisle said.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Yurtseven, Booker, Mathurin
Moses Moody has been upgraded to questionable for the Warriors‘ game against the Mavericks on Monday, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link). Moody has been out with a wrist sprain for the last 10 games, and his impending return should help boost the injury-depleted Golden State roster.
Slater notes (via Twitter) that Kristaps Porzingis has also been upgraded to probable for Monday’s game after missing the last game with a back injury. Porzingis has played just seven times since being acquired by the Warriors, averaging 14.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per game with his new team.
The Warriors are currently in firm command of the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, and are 1.5 games out of No. 9.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Omer Yurtseven has impressed in his initial efforts for the Warriors, the Eurohoops team writes. After signing a 10-day contract with Golden State, the Turkish center had a strong outing against the Pistons, recording eight points along with six rebounds and two assists, and impressing coach Steve Kerr along the way. “I’m a fan of Omer — he’s a very good player, very talented,” Kerr said. “He’s a good passer, he can shoot, and he’s had success in the NBA. We’ve only had him for a few days, but I enjoy watching him every day and seeing how he fits with the other guys.”
- The Suns are struggling of late, and it’s taking a toll on star Devin Booker, Doug Haller writes for The Athletic. “I’ve been around Book a long time,” said former coach Earl Watson. “You can just see in his face when something is wrong.” According to Haller, there was a palpable disconnect between Booker and the team after its fifth straight loss, this time against the Bucks. He says that Booker needs help, but time is running out for the Suns to make a run at a guaranteed playoff spot. They’re currently in 7th place with a 39-32 record.
- Bennedict Mathurin is making progress in his injury rehab for the Clippers, Grant Mona of the Sporting Tribune reports (via Twitter). Mathurin was ruled out for L.A.’s recent three-game road trip due to a right big toe injury, but according to head coach Tyronn Lue, he’s making progress. “He’s getting better,” Lue said. “He got on the court yesterday and shot, and he shot again this morning. But he’ll be out tonight.” Mathurin has averaged 19.9 points and 5.9 assists since being traded to the Clippers.
Injury Notes: Mathurin, Sengun, Bam, Edwards, MPJ
Since making his Clippers debut on February 10, guard Bennedict Mathurin has appeared in 16 consecutive games, but that streak will come to an end this week. According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), Mathurin has been ruled out for upcoming games in New Orleans (Wednesday and Thursday) and Dallas (Saturday) due to a right big toe issue.
Mathurin, whose injury designation is technically “right toe injury recovery,” has been dealing with that problem for much of the season. He missed 11 straight games in October and November due to what Indiana referred to at the time as a toe sprain.
Another Clippers guard who has battled toe issues this season, Darius Garland, is considered questionable to play on Wednesday on the first end of a back-to-back set due to left toe injury management (Twitter link via Murray). But there’s also positive news on the Clippers’ injury report, as Kawhi Leonard has been upgraded to questionable after missing Monday’s contest vs. San Antonio due to a left ankle sprain.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Rockets big man Alperen Sengun is no longer listed on the injury report after sitting out two games due to low back pain, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. That suggests Sengun will be available to suit up on Wednesday vs. the Lakers.
- One week after he went off for 83 points vs. Washington, Heat big man Bam Adebayo was forced to sit out on Tuesday in Charlotte due to right calf tightness, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo said he has been “playing through it” for a couple games but that it got to the point where he had to take at least a game off. “We want to make sure that he’s feeling good. So we’ll be responsible with it,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said before Tuesday’s blowout loss to the Hornets. “He’ll continue to do around-the-clock treatment.”
- Anthony Edwards‘ knee ailment isn’t considered serious, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), who reports that the inflammation in the Timberwolves guard’s knee got to the point where he needed to get some rest to let it subside. With the playoffs just a month away, the team’s priority is to make sure Edwards is fully healthy when the postseason begins, Krawczynski adds.
- After missing three games with a right ankle sprain, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s matchup with Oklahoma City, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Pacers Notes: Carlisle, Mathurin, I. Jackson, Brown, Defense
Head coach Rick Carlisle made it clear on February 24 that he didn’t think the Pacers deserved to be fined $100K by the NBA last month for the way they managed their players. Commissioner Adam Silver‘s statement at the time suggested the league thought Indiana (and Utah, which was docked $500K) was prioritizing “draft position over winning.”
Speaking to the media prior to Friday’s game in Los Angeles, Carlisle changed his tune, saying he was confident in the league’s ability to address tanking, according to Sportsnaut contributor Mark Medina.
“I place every bit of trust I have in Adam Silver,” Carlisle said. “This man is privy to be the ultimate leader. He really has. He really has smart people around him. They very carefully consider everything. They never react. They always think through things.”
While Carlisle’s remarks about the league were more generous than the ones he made a couple weeks ago, he strongly pushed back on the notion that coaches of tanking teams are negatively impacted by the practice, Medina writes. Carlisle specifically pointed to Mark Daigneault of the Thunder as someone who has benefited from the current system.
“You have the two best teams in the league — one in the East (Detroit) and one in the West (Oklahoma City) — that have built their teams much the same way,” Carlisle said. “I think Daigneault is a great example. He was a G League coach. But he built a relationship in that organization and a partnership. If he built those relationships and you become a real partner, the wins and losses, this is just my opinion, the wins and losses element of it, isn’t going to be that kind of a factor.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Wednesday’s game in L.A. marked the first time Pacers first-round picks Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson faced their former team since they were traded to the Clippers ahead of last month’s deadline. As Tony East of Circle City Spin writes, Jackson said he was caught off guard by the trade, adding that it was “surreal” and “bittersweet” to face the Pacers after spending spending five-and-a-half years with Indiana. Mathurin expressed a similar sentiment. “It was tough. It was tough for sure. … Everything I know is kind of based off of Indy, whether it’s just the lifestyle, on the court, off the court,” Mathurin said. “But I mean, it was good. It was definitely worth it – the change of scenery and also the change of organization. I said earlier that I was super grateful to be part of both, two great parties. It’s been fun, man. It’s been fun out here so far. My teammates have embraced me a lot, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.“
- Kobe Brown was something of an afterthought in the aforementioned deal that saw Ivica Zubac land with Indiana, but the third-year forward has played pretty well as a Pacer, averaging 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds on .471/.423/.786 shooting in 10 games (24.8 minutes per contest). While Brown is unlikely to be a priority for the Pacers in free agency this summer, they will be limited in what they can offer him after the Clippers declined his fourth-year option in the fall, East notes for Forbes. It probably won’t have a material impact on contract negotiations, East acknowledges, since Brown seems unlikely to command a deal in this range, but Indiana can’t offer him a starting salary exceeding $4.8MM in 2026/27, whereas other teams won’t face that same restriction.
- Defense remains a major issue for the Pacers, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). They’re at the bottom of several defensive stats — including defensive rating — since the All-Star break, a trend that continued in Friday’s loss to the Lakers, which was far more lopsided than the final score (128-117) suggests. “In the first half, we had three or four times where we went for shot fakes and gave up and-ones or free throws,” Carlisle said. “That’s game-plan discipline. We can do better there. That’s controllable. It takes not talent. It just takes recognition and attention to detail and focus.”
Clippers Notes: Aspiration Investigation, Mathurin, Jackson
Earlier in the season, there was a sense around the NBA that the investigation into allegations that the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard used a no-show endorsement deal with fintech company Aspiration to circumvent the salary cap wouldn’t lead to a serious punishment for the team, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.
However, according to Amick, that thinking has evolved in recent months. During the weeks leading up to the All-Star break, Amick writes, there was a “significant” uptick in speculation that “the NBA’s hammer is likely to fall” on the Clippers upon the conclusion of the probe.
Many people across the league theorized that the NBA would wait until sometime after the All-Star break to announce the results of the investigation, so as not to distract from the mid-season festivities at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome. Commissioner Adam Silver insisted over the weekend that wasn’t a consideration and reiterated that the probe isn’t being directly run by the NBA — the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz was hired by the league to conduct the investigation.
“I think, as I’ve said before, it’s enormously complex,” Silver said over the weekend. “You have a company in bankruptcy (Aspiration). You have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that have been needed to be interviewed. I will say, just in case anyone is wondering, the fact that All-Star is here (in L.A.) has had no impact on the timeline of the investigation. Our charge to the Wachtell law firm is (to) do the work and then come back and make recommendations to the league office, and that’s where things now stand.”
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- In his home debut as a Clipper, recently acquired guard Bennedict Mathurin set a new personal season high and matched a career best by pouring in 38 points in 34 minutes, writes Doug Padilla of The Associated Press. Coming off the bench, Mathurin made 12-of-22 shots from the floor and 12-of-13 from the free throw line to help lead the club to a one-point win over Denver. “It’s great to have another scorer that can get you 30 points,” Leonard said after the game (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic). “I watched him in the (2025 NBA) Finals. He was doing it in the Finals last year, all year last year for the Pacers. It’s great to have him.”
- Before the Clippers’ second-half schedule got underway on Thursday, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register (subscription required) explored how the team was working on integrating trade deadline additions Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and injured point guard Darius Garland. “Everybody is pretty familiar with my game, so it kind of helps a lot,” said Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason. “I think that there’s still a lot more to do, still a lot more to learn with the system, offensive, defensive and especially off the court as well. … I just feel like I kind of get the chance to do it even more over here (with the Clippers). I think it is going to go to a different level.”
- Jackson has played a very limited role since joining the Clippers, but he says he’s working on getting acclimated and wants to do all he can to “help the team win,” per Carr. Head coach Tyronn Lue suggested the former Pacer will keep getting opportunities to battle rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser for minutes behind starting center Brook Lopez. “Right now, I’m just thinking, just talking to our staff, about just playing three bigs,” Lue said. “We can’t continue to play Brook 34, 35 minutes a night, even though he says he’s OK. So, just given three centers, it’s a chance to play them all and then whoever’s playing the best will probably play in the second half. We’ll see how it goes.”
- In case you missed it, the Clippers are filling their open two-way contract slots by signing G League standouts Sean Pedulla and Norchad Omier.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Porzingis, Christie, Suns
As the Clippers host the NBA world for All-Star weekend, their recent trade deadline moves make the future of the team difficult to gauge, Kelly Iko writes for Yahoo Sports.
The Clippers traded James Harden for the much younger – but oft-injured – Darius Garland, in addition to sending out starting center and defensive backbone Ivica Zubac, to bring back wing scorer Bennedict Mathurin, who has come off the bench to start his tenure in Los Angeles.
The moves, for a team that was one of the hottest in the league following a slow start to the season, require a recalibration of expectations, Iko writes. The team got younger with the moves, but lost two of their most consistent contributors. Garland is also sidelined with a toe sprain and has no set timeline for return.
“It’s not easy,” veteran Nicolas Batum said. “Especially when you trade away big pieces. But the thing we got back is pretty huge as well. You still gotta do your job, but it’s going to be an adjustment for sure.”
Coach Ty Lue said that despite the moves, the goals haven’t changed from his perspective.
“Our expectations are still to win and win at a high level,” Lue said. “Come out and compete every single night and play hard. No matter who’s on the floor.”
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Kristaps Porzingis has yet to suit up for a game with the Warriors due to a combination of Achilles tendinitis and an illness, but coach Steve Kerr said that he’s hoping the All-Star break helps give him time to get his body right, Anthony Slater of ESPN notes (Twitter video link). “Kristaps played today and was moving better than yesterday and seemed to be in a good rhythm,” Kerr said on Wednesday night, adding that the big man was playing half-court five-on-five. While there have been rumors that Porzingis will be able to play in Golden State’s first game after the All-Star break, Kerr wasn’t ready to lock that in. “We’ll just see how it plays out,” he said.
- With Wednesday’s 121-93 loss to the Jazz, the Kings have matched their longest losing streak in franchise history, Jason Anderson writes for the Sacramento Bee. It’s the first time the team has lost 14 straight since moving to Sacramento in 1985. For head coach Doug Christie, who experienced some of the franchise’s most memorable moments as a player, it’s particularly painful. “I’ve been here for the absolute best of the Sacramento Kings, the best record, and now you deal with this,” said Christie. “…One thing I know is that adversity does not define you, but it clarifies some things about you as an individual and us as a collective because when you face that you come together in brotherhood, you communicate, you compete at a high level and we will be better for it in the long run.” There was at least one bright spot in the loss, as second-year guard Devin Carter set his career-high in points (19).
- The Suns are heading into the All-Star break on something of a down note, winning just once in their last four games and being blown out by a Thunder team missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in their last game before the break. However, head coach Jordan Ott holds a slightly different view of the team’s position, Duane Rankin writes for the Arizona Republic. “This is exciting,” Ott said of the team’s current seventh-place seeding. “What we’re playing for, the next 27 games, that’s exciting. You don’t want the result, but if that doesn’t motivate you, and I know it will, so that part, we’re going to take this as a positive.”
Pacers Notes: Zubac, Jackson, Toppin, Roster
After losing Myles Turner in free agency last summer, the Pacers experimented this season with players like Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff in the starting center role. However, the team felt that acquiring a veteran five was a priority, according to general manager Chad Buchanan, who tells Tony East of Forbes that Ivica Zubac emerged as Indiana’s “number one clear target” ahead of the trade deadline due to his fit, age, production, and character.
The Pacers are lottery-bound this season and could’ve waited until the summer to address their center spot, but Buchanan and the front office felt like it made more sense to come up with a solution now rather than wait to see what options were available in a few months.
“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 package that the Pacers sent the Clippers for Zubac includes a 2026 first-round pick that will stay in Indiana if it lands in the top four or outside the top nine, with L.A. receiving it if it’s between No. 5 and No. 9. There’s a possibility the Pacers will end up surrendering the fifth or sixth overall pick in a strong draft, but Buchanan said the team was happy not to have to sacrifice the upside at the very top of the draft and recognized giving up assets of real value was necessary to land a player like Zubac.
“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.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Indiana has an open spot on its 15-man roster after its deadline moves and Buchanan acknowledged to East that promoting Quenton Jackson from his two-way contract is a “real possibility” to fill that opening. The Pacers’ GM referred to Jackson as “a big part of our culture in our locker room” and lauded his energy, toughness, and positive attitude. Jackson still has 18 games of eligibility remaining on his two-way deal, so if he’s going to fill that 15th roster spot, there’s no real urgency for the Pacers – who are operating less than $900K from the tax line – to convert him right away.
- Zubac has yet to make his Pacers debut due to an ankle issue while forward Obi Toppin has been out since October as he recovers from foot surgery. However, Buchanan tell East that he expects to see both players back on the court this season.
- Asked by East what the Pacers’ roster still needs now that it has a new starting center, Buchanan joked that it’d be great to add a top-four pick in this year’s draft. The GM went on to say that the team will use the final two months of the season as an evaluation period before making additional roster decisions in the summer. “Depending on if we have the pick or don’t have the pick determines some of what we do roster-wise, what we have flexibility-wise with the cap,” he said. “But we’re going to be aggressive to try to put ourselves in a position to compete and contend for a championship next year. And whatever that means, we’re going to try and do it.”
- Zubac has made just 1-of-12 three-pointers since entering the NBA in 2016, but he said this week that he and head coach Rick Carlisle have already talked about him spending more time in the corner and having more opportunities to shoot from beyond the arc. “I always thought I could shoot that shot,” Zubac said, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “I obviously didn’t get a lot of chances to do it with the Clippers, but I always worked on it and wanted to shoot it but never had a chance. We’ll see how open he will be for that. If that’s what they want me to do, I have the rest of the season and the whole summer to work on it and be ready for next year.”