5 for 2! Farewell, Clippers! A blockbuster trade at the buzzer

A last-second blockbuster trade.

Insider Shams:The Clippers traded Zubac and Kobe Brown to the Pacers in exchange for Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round draft picks, and one second-round pick.

Zubac has been with the Clippers for a total of eight years, posting regular season averages of 10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1 block per game, shooting 61.6%; in the playoffs, he averaged 9.8 points and 7.5 rebounds with a 59.7% field goal percentage.

It’s understandable why the Clippers traded Zubac, as the playmaker who created opportunities (Harden) has left for the Cavaliers, so there’s no need to keep a player who benefits from those plays.

The former Clippers’ big three is now down to just Leonard, whose current contract runs through the summer of 2027, with a salary of $50 million this season and $50.3 million next season.

However, Leonard is no longer without support on the Clippers. New addition Garland, a two-time All-Star guard, is averaging 18 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists this season, with shooting splits of 45.1%, 36%, and 86.1%; new player Mathurin, a 1.96m swingman, is averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, shooting 43.3%, 37.2%, and 88.4% this season.

It’s clear that the Clippers will focus on perimeter offense going forward, with less emphasis on inside play. This might produce unexpected positive results, since before trading Zubac, the team ranked third last in pace with 96.7 possessions per game and sixth last in scoring with 112.3 points per game.

So far,the Clippers hold a 23-27 record, sitting ninth in the Western Conference, 2.5 games ahead of the 11th-place Grizzlies and 7.5 games behind the sixth-place Lakers.Regardless, they won’t tank this season because the unprotected 2026 first-round pick is held by the reigning champion Thunder, who likely won’t want to help build another team.

If Harden hadn’t suddenly left, the Clippers still had a chance to secure a direct playoff spot. Unfortunately, there are no ifs; now they must fight to keep a play-in tournament spot, putting more pressure on Leonard than ever before.

This season, Leonard has averaged 32.7 minutes per game, scoring 27.6 points, grabbing 6.1 rebounds, dishing out 3.6 assists, and making 2 steals, shooting 49.7%, 39%, and 91.4%, reaching a new career high in regular season scoring.