Shams: Zubac to IND

[Donoghus]

More detail on that '26 first rounder.

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
3m
If the Pacers first-rounder this year falls outside of that 1-4/10-30 range, it converts to the Pacers 2031 unprotected first.

[Roy H.]

Imagine if that pick ends up at #5?  The Pacers will have traded away a prospect projected to be better than Cooper Flagg!!!

 

[aefgogreen]

weird protection on it. Did the Clippers decide that they didn't want it if it's too high and they'll take their chances 5 years down the road?

[wdleehi]

weird protection on it. Did the Clippers decide that they didn't want it if it's too high and they'll take their chances 5 years down the road?

The protection against the higher picks was probably the Clippers want.   They rather the lotto ticket of unprotected in 31 vs. what they have scouted from later 1st round picks. 

[Roy H.]

weird protection on it. Did the Clippers decide that they didn't want it if it's too high and they'll take their chances 5 years down the road?

I think that's right.  They didn't want to roll it over to next year because Haliburton will be back, etc.

A note on trades like this:  Danny pulled off a trade like this when we traded the #1 (Fultz) for Tatum (#3).  We received a Lakers pick that was #1, #6 - #30 protected (if I'm remembering correctly).  If not, it rolled over into a Sacramento #1.

Unfortunately, if we'd kept that Philly pick, it would have been #10 in the draft, where SGA was sitting there.  Instead we ended up with Romeo Langford.

[BringToughnessBack]

That was a lot to give up for Zubac and I did want him but now see why Brad could not pull the trigger on a deal for him.

"Clippers to acquire Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, the Pacers? 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected and 10-30 protected), the Pacers? 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), and the Mavericks? 2028 second-round pick.
If that 2026 Pacers pick doesn?t land between No. 5 and No. 9, the Clippers will instead get Indiana?s unprotected 2031 first-rounder, according to Fischer."

[BringToughnessBack]

That was a lot to give up for Zubac and I did want him but now see why Brad could not pull the trigger on a deal for him.

"Clippers to acquire Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, the Pacers? 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected and 10-30 protected), the Pacers? 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), and the Mavericks? 2028 second-round pick.
If that 2026 Pacers pick doesn?t land between No. 5 and No. 9, the Clippers will instead get Indiana?s unprotected 2031 first-rounder, according to Fischer."

If 2026 does not convey, 2031 goes to them and is unprotected.

[obnoxiousmime]

What really sucks is, the Pacers aren't able to complete this deal if they didn't tank this year. If the Cs had tanked, they could have been in a similar position to trade for a valuable piece.

Not arguing for or against it, but we were both in similar situations at the start of the year and both targeted Zubac to fill a need at a reasonable deal going forward. They got him and we didn't.

[Roy H.]

What really sucks is, the Pacers aren't able to complete this deal if they didn't tank this year. If the Cs had tanked, they could have been in a similar position to trade for a valuable piece.

Not arguing for or against it, but we were both in similar situations at the start of the year and both targeted Zubac to fill a need at a reasonable deal going forward. They got him and we didn't.

I think that I would rather have Vucevic + two #1s + #2 + a winning season as opposed to a season of misery with Zubac being the prize at the end of that tunnel.

[Donoghus]

What really sucks is, the Pacers aren't able to complete this deal if they didn't tank this year. If the Cs had tanked, they could have been in a similar position to trade for a valuable piece.

Not arguing for or against it, but we were both in similar situations at the start of the year and both targeted Zubac to fill a need at a reasonable deal going forward. They got him and we didn't.

I think that I would rather have Vucevic + two #1s + #2 + a winning season as opposed to a season of misery with Zubac being the prize at the end of that tunnel.

Absolutely.

[obnoxiousmime]

What really sucks is, the Pacers aren't able to complete this deal if they didn't tank this year. If the Cs had tanked, they could have been in a similar position to trade for a valuable piece.

Not arguing for or against it, but we were both in similar situations at the start of the year and both targeted Zubac to fill a need at a reasonable deal going forward. They got him and we didn't.

I think that I would rather have Vucevic + two #1s + #2 + a winning season as opposed to a season of misery with Zubac being the prize at the end of that tunnel.

Absolutely.

Sure, I understand there is a cost to tanking a season. And I'm not sure Zubac is worth what they paid. However, it's clear the Cs front office has coveted him for a while now and it stinks that another Eastern Conference rival was able to get it done just because they decided they wouldn't try this year. I would also point out that yes, we supposedly "tried" this year but clearly we aren't REALLY trying to be a contender since they just dumped a bunch of players to get under the tax.

The draft lottery system is just really flawed that way. Watch the Pacers shut Zubac down and try to increase the chances they keep their pick and draft one of the young studs this year. I'm fine with the truly bad teams getting the best picks, but I don't like teams like the Mavericks being rewarded for insane luck or teams like the Pacers taking "gap years" and getting a great pick even though they already have talent on the roster. It's subverting how the system is supposed to work.

[Donoghus]

What really sucks is, the Pacers aren't able to complete this deal if they didn't tank this year. If the Cs had tanked, they could have been in a similar position to trade for a valuable piece.

Not arguing for or against it, but we were both in similar situations at the start of the year and both targeted Zubac to fill a need at a reasonable deal going forward. They got him and we didn't.

I think that I would rather have Vucevic + two #1s + #2 + a winning season as opposed to a season of misery with Zubac being the prize at the end of that tunnel.

Absolutely.

Sure, I understand there is a cost to tanking a season. And I'm not sure Zubac is worth what they paid. However, it's clear the Cs front office has coveted him for a while now and it stinks that another Eastern Conference rival was able to get it done just because they decided they wouldn't try this year. I would also point out that yes, we supposedly "tried" this year but clearly we aren't REALLY trying to be a contender since they just dumped a bunch of players to get under the tax.

The draft lottery system is just really flawed that way. Watch the Pacers shut Zubac down and try to increase the chances they keep their pick and draft one of the young studs this year. I'm fine with the truly bad teams getting the best picks, but I don't like teams like the Mavericks being rewarded for insane luck or teams like the Pacers taking "gap years" and getting a great pick even though they already have talent on the roster. It's subverting how the system is supposed to work.

You don't think they're capable of winning the East if Tatum comes back?  Hell, they're tied for the 2 seed in the East right now without him.

[Roy H.]

What really sucks is, the Pacers aren't able to complete this deal if they didn't tank this year. If the Cs had tanked, they could have been in a similar position to trade for a valuable piece.

Not arguing for or against it, but we were both in similar situations at the start of the year and both targeted Zubac to fill a need at a reasonable deal going forward. They got him and we didn't.

I think that I would rather have Vucevic + two #1s + #2 + a winning season as opposed to a season of misery with Zubac being the prize at the end of that tunnel.

Absolutely.

Sure, I understand there is a cost to tanking a season. And I'm not sure Zubac is worth what they paid. However, it's clear the Cs front office has coveted him for a while now and it stinks that another Eastern Conference rival was able to get it done just because they decided they wouldn't try this year. I would also point out that yes, we supposedly "tried" this year but clearly we aren't REALLY trying to be a contender since they just dumped a bunch of players to get under the tax.

The draft lottery system is just really flawed that way. Watch the Pacers shut Zubac down and try to increase the chances they keep their pick and draft one of the young studs this year. I'm fine with the truly bad teams getting the best picks, but I don't like teams like the Mavericks being rewarded for insane luck or teams like the Pacers taking "gap years" and getting a great pick even though they already have talent on the roster. It's subverting how the system is supposed to work.

What would you have done to tank?

What further should we have done to contend this season?

[keevsnick]

That 2026 first is impossible for the Celtics to match value wise.

Its protected 1-4 and 10-30, the 10th team in the lottery currently has 23 wins while the Pacers have only 13 so the chance of IND being good enough for it to fall in the 10-30 range is about 0%.

Meanwhile even if IND finished with the WORST record in the league they'd only have a 48% chance of keeping a 1-4 protected pick. In other words there's a better than 50% chance that LAC gets a pick in the 5-9 range out of this.

[Neurotic Guy]

What really sucks is, the Pacers aren't able to complete this deal if they didn't tank this year. If the Cs had tanked, they could have been in a similar position to trade for a valuable piece.

Not arguing for or against it, but we were both in similar situations at the start of the year and both targeted Zubac to fill a need at a reasonable deal going forward. They got him and we didn't.

I think that I would rather have Vucevic + two #1s + #2 + a winning season as opposed to a season of misery with Zubac being the prize at the end of that tunnel.

Absolutely.

I agree with this.  Zubac obviously has more value than Vuc - younger and better all around player given his defensive skills.  But, with the Celtics three-headed center of Q-V-G I don't see the center position as a weakness anymore.   Man, Q is becoming a legit player!  And I know he gets grief, but Garza has been really impressive as an offensive rebounder, shooter and finishing inside. Garza as a third string 5 is great.  Would Zubac be better than Vuc - yes. but the benefit would not outweigh the cost.