The Los Angeles Lakers have made a wide range of questionable decisions in recent years, but no trade has haunted them more than the decision to part with Ivica Zubac. Los Angeles infamously traded Zubac to the LA Clippers for Mike Muscala's expiring contract and has since been unable to find a consistent starting center.
With Zubac emerging as one of the best rim protectors in the NBA and the Lakers still needing a long-term answer at the position, the time is now for a past wrong to be righted.
Zubac, 28, played two-and-a-half seasons with the Lakers before he was unceremoniously traded before his rookie-scale contract could even expire. In the seven years since, he's become one of the most respected defensive bigs in the Association and a coveted trade target.
Though the Lakers haven't been linked to Zubac at this stage of the trade season, it's time they get in on the conversation and explore the possibility of being able to acquire him.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, multiple teams have reached out to the Clippers in exploratory conversations for a Zubac trade. Up to this point, they've been informed that LA would want at least two first-round draft picks for the big man.
Though the Lakers can't meet such a steep asking price, they must do their homework and determine whether or not there's an offer the Clippers would be willing to accept.
Lakers must kick the tires on a suddenly possible Ivica Zubac trade
Though the asking price is steep, it's encouraging to note that the Clippers were willing to set a price instead of simply rebuffing previous approaches. That at least implies that the door is open for a trade to be completed if a team comes along with the ideal offer.
The Lakers are admittedly limited in regard to the assets they can offer, but with Rui Hachimura's expiring contract, Dalton Knecht's untapped potential, and a first-round pick, they could at least start a conversation.
If Los Angeles finds a way to get a trade over the finish line, they'd be adding a world-class rim protector, rebounder, and interior scorer. Per Basketball Index, Zubac ranks in the 98th percentile in rim protection, the 91st percentile in post defense, and the 96th percentile in defensive rebounds per 75 possessions.
Zubac also ranks in the 95th percentile in rim shot making efficiency, the 97th percentile in one on one shot making efficiency, and the 96th percentile in stable post up points per possession.
Each of those statistics reflects how Zubac turns the interior into his domain on both ends of the floor. He lacks the range that some teams covet, but he can convert out to 14 feet and would answer the question of who the Lakers' long-term center is as soon as he arrives.
Zubac also has experience playing with a ball-dominant playmaker in James Harden, which bodes well for how he'd fit alongside Luka Doncic.
The unavoidable hurdle is crafting a trade offer that the Clippers would prioritize over the others they're destined to receive. When it comes to building out the current roster, however, there's only so much the Lakers should rule as off limits considering the Doncic era could prove short lived if they fail to adequately build around him.
With a team-friendly salary and the type of interior control the Lakers desperately need, Zubac is not only the player they shouldn't have traded, but the borderline star they need to reacquire.