The LA Clippers lock up a key foundation piece in Ivica Zubac even in the midst of the possibility of a retooling of the roster.
It was far from an ideal offseason for the LA Clippers. Losing Paul George in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers was not expected but it's something the franchise had to deal with at the start of the offseason. Whether they were shocked by PG'd decision, we'll never know. However, the Clippers did appear to do their best in recovering after losing such a key part of their build.
In response, the Clippers signed Nicolas Batum, Mo Bamba, Kevin Porter Jr., Kris Dunn, and Derrick Jones Jr. Who knows how their retooled roster will perform next to James Harden and, hopefully, a healthy Kawhi Leonard. But you can't fault the roster for trying. In addition to those moves, the Clippers made one more move in an attempt to lock up a core piece of their foundation. The Clippers signed Ivica Zubac to a three-year, $59.6 million extension. He is now under contract with the team through the 2027-28 NBA season.
Even if the Clippers do explore a retooling of their roster in the near future, it doesn't appear as if Zubac will be part of those changes. Over the past few years with the Clippers, Zubac has settled into a consistent role for the team. He's coming off arguably the best season of his career in which he averaged 12 points and nine rebounds per game on 65 percent shooting from the field.
What to expect from the LA Clippers this season
But even with a well-established core, there still remain many questions for the Clippers heading into the start of the season. For one, there's no guarantee they'll be able to remain healthy. Over the past few years, that's been the biggest hurdle that has stood in the way of the Clippers - especially in the NBA Playoffs.
But even aside from the health questions, you can't help but wonder if a James Harden-Kawhi duo will be enough to help the Clippers make a move up the West standings. With the way the rest of the conference continues to evolve, that could prove to be difficult. But I suppose we'll never know until the season begins.
While it would be foolish to completely discount the Clippers before the season even begins, it would be equally irresponsible to place unfound expectations on the team.