Clippers, Ivica Zubac reach 3-year, $58.6M extension, agents say

LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac has agreed to a three-year, $58.6 million contract extension, tying him to the franchise for $70 million through the 2027-2028 season, his agents Mike Lindeman and Jeff Schwartz of Excel told ESPN on Friday.

Zubac will sign the maximum deal available to him for three seasons under the terms of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.

Zubac averaged a career-high 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds for the 51-victory Clippers, including 16.2 points in a Western Conference playoff series loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Zubac shot 65% from the field in the regular season, third in the league behind Daniel Gafford and Rudy Gobert, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Zubac held offensive opponents to 49.6% shooting at the rim last season, best in the league among players to defend 200-plus shots, per Second Spectrum.

He’ll be starting his seventh season with the Clippers, where he arrived in a trade from the Lakers in 2018.

The Clippers lost All-NBA forward Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency but kept free agent guard James Harden on a new deal, signed free agents Nicolas Batum and Derrick Jones and have now extended their starting center, Zubac.

In eight NBA seasons, Zubac has averaged 9.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.