Los Angeles Clippers big man
Ivica Zubac has agreed on a three-year, $58.6 million contract
extension with the Clippers according to ESPN’s Adrian
Wojnarowski.
The Croatian center gets the
maximum salary extension available for his three seasons and now is
guaranteed four years and $70 million overall.
The 7’0 Zubac averaged a
career-high 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds for the Clippers –
including 16.2 points in their Western Conference playoff series
loss to the Mavericks.
After starting his NBA career
with the Lakers, Zubac has played the last 6 seasons with the
Clippers, being their starting center for the majority of his time
there. Zubac has played 390 games with the team, starting 348 of
them. He has career averages of 10 points and 8.4 rebounds with the
Clippers and 11.7 and 9.2 rebounds overall for his
career.
ANALYSIS: The 27-year-old Zubac
figures out to be featured in a more prominent role on offense as
he enters his prime years. With Paul George out, there will be more
shots in the offense open for everyone else in the team to help out
Kawhi Leonard. Zubac has developed a budding chemistry with James
Harden last season and this could only improve further as they get
in more reps playing with each other. Zubac has also shown flashes
of a post-game – a vital part of his progression as a big man in
the NBA with an ever developing offense rather than just being a
rim-running center.
