2. Ivica Zubac
Since coming into the league as the 32nd pick in 2016, Ivica Zubac has failed to show improvement in his skills and has rarely seen playing time since then. He has also not filled out his frame and his body looks far from a quality NBA center. In his rookie season it looked like he had a ton of potential and room to grow with a solid touch around the basket down low. That led him to become a fan favorite early on, but it also lead to unrealistic expectations that he has not come close to reaching.
Since the Lakers just signed Tyson Chandler and they drafted Moritz Wagner with their first round pick this year, it seems as if the Lakers have given up on Zubac now and in the future. JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler will be enough for the Lakers to get through this season and Wagner fits more of the modern center mold that can stretch the floor and hit threes when given the opportunity, which is perfect for the Lakers plans down the road.
Zubac on the other hand does not really fit in with the Lakers’ new system because they are trying to get out and run as much as possible and Zubac has trouble getting up and down the floor and keeping up with that pace.
All of these factors point to the Lakers moving on from him when his contract is up at the 2019-20 season, so why not explore any trade options for him right now? He will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, but it is unlikely that another team will put in a larger for him than his $1,931,189 salary he is scheduled to get next year.
Since Zubac is wasting away on the end of the bench right now, it would definitely beneficial for both him and the Lakers to explore if any teams have interest in the young Croatian big man. He is over 7 feet, is only 21, and still has a lot of potential on both sides of the ball so it is not too far fetched to think that the Lakers could move him for a veteran that can actually help the team win right now.