Zubac, Clippers agree to $33M, 3-year extension
Clippers center Ivica Zubac has agreed to a threeyear, $33 million contract extension with the team, his agents reportedly told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and a league source confirmed.
The Clippers declined a $7.5 million team option on Zubac's contract, clearing the way to negotiate a new deal for the 7-footer, who is the longest-tenured player on the roster.
Originally drafted 32nd overall by the Lakers, the 25-year-old Zubac is a key frontcourt contributor for a Clippers team that many, including owner Steve Ballmer, expect to compete for an NBA championship next season.
Zubac has improved incrementally each of his six NBA seasons, including this past one, when he averaged career bests of 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 24.4 minutes per game.
The Croatian big man also has proved one of the Clippers' most durable players. Last season, his fourth season with the Clippers after coming over in a trade from the Lakers, Zubac started 76 of 82 games. He took the court in all 72 possible games the season prior.
That's just part of why coach Tyronn Lue is especially fond of the good-natured Zubac, who also is so popular among his teammates that current Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley sat courtside wearing Zubac's No. 40 Clippers jersey when he returned to watch one of his former team's games this past season.
“He just wants to win and he's a team player,”
Lue said during the Clippers' Western Conference finals run in the 2020-21 season, when Zubac sacrificed playing time without complaint. “I came out at halftime and said, `I'm starting Nico,” and he goes, `Great,' And he's cheering the team on, understanding we're trying to win the game.
“Zu is the best. He ranks up there for me with (former Cleveland guard) Matthew Dellavedova one of my favorites, man. He's about the team and he's smart and does what you ask him to do and he was cheering over there.”
Zubac's demeanor and work ethic over his extended tenure with the team has earned him respect, he said, despite his relatively young age.
“I feel guys respect me a lot in our locker room since I'm the longest-tenured player here and I've been through a lot, through a lot of playoff series with this team,” he said this past March 18, when he turned 25.
Zubac, who has averaged 8.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in his seven NBA seasons, is the second Clipper to sign an extension since the end of the season, joining forward Robert Covington.
When free agency begins on Thursday (3 p.m.), the Clippers are reportedly expected to agree to a deal with five-time AllStar guard John Wall, who reached a buyout of the final year of his contract with the Houston Rockets on Monday.