Woj: Zubac extends with the Clippers for 3 years 58.6 million.

[Sixers in 4]

You guys don't actually understand the contract signed by Zubac.

He signed a maximum extension at 140% of the MLE, since the MLE was slightly higher than his salary. It was the most he could be extended at.

He could have waited a year to hit free agency, but then there is no guarantee that deal is available if he gets injured or if the market is dry (Hint: The market was dead this summer).

Both things can't be true; the market for centers can't be dead and Poetl sign a 104M contract. Also Naz Reid got, like, 125M; it wasn't that dead.

What are you even talking about here?

Poeltl signed in 2023, not 2025.

Naz Reid also signed in 2025 with bird rights.

You really don't understand how salary cap/free agency works.

He signed two extensions one in 2023 and another in 2025

[-Luke-]

Wondered why this thread from last summer is up, then I remembered where Zu plays.

Kawhi is probably not the only player around the league who is not happy that this can of worms has been opened. Not saying that the Zubac deal is fishy as well, I don't know. But if Ballmers is involved and a player took less than he could have, people will raise an eyebrow.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Both things can't be true; the market for centers can't be dead and Poetl sign a 104M contract. Also Naz Reid got, like, 125M; it wasn't that dead.

What are you even talking about here?

Poeltl signed in 2023, not 2025.

Naz Reid also signed in 2025 with bird rights.

You really don't understand how salary cap/free agency works.

He signed two extensions one in 2023 and another in 2025

Let me explain these situation to you.

Naz Reid
-Free Agent in 2025 Off-Season with a player option
-Signed a New Contract in Summer 2025 for 140% of his previous year salary

Ivica Zubac
-Free Agent in 2025 Off-Season
-Signed a Contract Extension in Summer 2024 for 140% (Maximum allowed by CBA) of his 2025 salary

Jakob Poeltl
-Free Agent in 2023 as an RFA
-Signed 4 year, 78 Million deal in Summer 2023 (Seen by some as overpaid, some as neutral, none as a good contract)
-Signed a 3-year extension in Summer 2025 worth 84 Million (62 Million Guaranteed at signing)

Now, what you are missing here is a few key things.

1) Jokob Poeltl isn't a good contract. He is overpaid for his production but that's becoming a thing for Toronto.

Why? Can't know for sure, maybe they value different attributes or perhaps there is a "tax" to live in Canada vs the USA.

2) Money now vs Later

Zubac would have entered free agency this summer. He could have taken the risk like Naz Reid, but Reid had a player option. That means that if Reid had a bad injury this past season, instead of entering free agency he could have picked up his player option and to recoup his value. Zubac didn't have that luxury.

3) Zubac had a career year this past season, after his extension.

[Sixers in 4]

Look what commonly happens, as in the case of Naz and Poetl over-the-cap teams overpay to retain their own talent, not because of a Canadian tax or nonsense. I think Peotl is from Austria or Latvia or something; what does he care? Why? Because they can't just go back into FA and replace the talent if they walk, like what happened with Indiana and Myles Turner. You as a Pacers fan should realize that better than anyone.

That gives players on good teams a decent amount of leverage. Anyways, believe what you want. I am not even saying something untoward necessarily happened. What I am saying is Zubac signed a below-market contract, and it should be looked at. Maybe it's nothing, and he valued the guarantee like you said, even though he could have clearly made more the following year and with the extra year likely close to double

Certainly could be true, not saying otherwise, but it's also possible, knowing now what we know about Kawhi, that he was given something extra to take the below market offer a year early and that should be investigated. That is all I am saying

[druggas]

My first impression was that’s a bit high. But maybe that’s the market for average starting center with no 3 these days?

Zubac's AAV is $17.5 million.

Hartenstien's AAV is $29 million.

Jarrett Allen's AAV is $26.14 million.

Someone mentioned Yacka Purtle, his AAV is $19.5 million.

I think Zubac is an absolute steal, comparatively speaking.

I wonder if he's getting paid under the table too.

[Johnny Bball]

Do you view them as comparable players?

I’d say Zubac is notably better.

I'd say they're pretty close in terms of player. I'd give the nod to Zubac for sure and yes in a vacuum Zu would command more. But that's where market conditions at time of signing, player desires, franchise desperation, etc come into play.

You guys don't actually understand the contract signed by Zubac.

He signed a maximum extension at 140% of the MLE, since the MLE was slightly higher than his salary. It was the most he could be extended at.

He could have waited a year to hit free agency, but then there is no guarantee that deal is available if he gets injured or if the market is dry (Hint: The market was dead this summer).

The fact that he turned down free agency when only a year away is an even bigger reason to look closely into this deal.

[brackdan70]

Yep he really made a jump. He has proven My initial post over a year ago wrong. Great player and great contract.

[og15]

Wondered why this thread from last summer is up, then I remembered where Zu plays.

Kawhi is probably not the only player around the league who is not happy that this can of worms has been opened. Not saying that the Zubac deal is fishy as well, I don't know. But if Ballmers is involved and a player took less than he could have, people will raise an eyebrow.

Zubac didn't take less than he could have, this was his max extension. What Zubac could have done is not sign an extension and then wait until free agency where he could get a larger contract. But, many people on here also didn't value him as much when this extension was actually done, though most of us Clippers fans saw it. He had his best season last year after the extension.

Of course like I mentioned earlier and Sixers in 4 dismissed, this doesn't track with the fact that the Clippers and Paul George had a hang up that was based on money. If the team was just throwing out under the table money everywhere, PG should have had no issue with the under the max contract he was offered if he could have just been recouped under the table.

[Shock Defeat]

Zu was playing for a endorsement deal from Ballmer

[ReggiesKnicks]

I'd say they're pretty close in terms of player. I'd give the nod to Zubac for sure and yes in a vacuum Zu would command more. But that's where market conditions at time of signing, player desires, franchise desperation, etc come into play.

You guys don't actually understand the contract signed by Zubac.

He signed a maximum extension at 140% of the MLE, since the MLE was slightly higher than his salary. It was the most he could be extended at.

He could have waited a year to hit free agency, but then there is no guarantee that deal is available if he gets injured or if the market is dry (Hint: The market was dead this summer).

The fact that he turned down free agency when only a year away is an even bigger reason to look closely into this deal.

Most players turn down free agency.

[Johnny Bball]

You guys don't actually understand the contract signed by Zubac.

He signed a maximum extension at 140% of the MLE, since the MLE was slightly higher than his salary. It was the most he could be extended at.

He could have waited a year to hit free agency, but then there is no guarantee that deal is available if he gets injured or if the market is dry (Hint: The market was dead this summer).

The fact that he turned down free agency when only a year away is an even bigger reason to look closely into this deal.

Most players turn down free agency.

Not for 140 percent of the MLE

[ReggiesKnicks]

The fact that he turned down free agency when only a year away is an even bigger reason to look closely into this deal.

Most players turn down free agency.

Not for 140 percent of the MLE

Yes they do. Go look at all players in thay price range. Most players who go to free agency are MLE or below.

[sfernald]

Wonder how much extra he's getting..

[CS707]

Wondered why this thread from last summer is up, then I remembered where Zu plays.

Kawhi is probably not the only player around the league who is not happy that this can of worms has been opened. Not saying that the Zubac deal is fishy as well, I don't know. But if Ballmers is involved and a player took less than he could have, people will raise an eyebrow.

Yep, and this is the conundrum the league is in now.

[homecourtloss]

More impressively, opponents shot just 50% on attempts within five feet with Zubac as the primary defender, lowest among all players who defended at least 100 of them

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/40387163/nba-free-agency-2024-reaction-grades-biggest-signings

He's also one of the best defending right at the rim. Here's everyone last year who defended 4+ shots at the rim per game:



Wemby defending 8+ right at the rim and allowing only 50% is crazy as is Chet's 44% allowed albeit on lower volume.

[Sixers in 4]

You guys don't actually understand the contract signed by Zubac.

He signed a maximum extension at 140% of the MLE, since the MLE was slightly higher than his salary. It was the most he could be extended at.

He could have waited a year to hit free agency, but then there is no guarantee that deal is available if he gets injured or if the market is dry (Hint: The market was dead this summer).

The fact that he turned down free agency when only a year away is an even bigger reason to look closely into this deal.

Most players turn down free agency.

Not for less money. Like Austin Reeves recently declined a 140 percent extension. So did Jaylen Brown. So did Lauri Markkanen. So did Domantas Sabonis. So did OG Anunoby. So did Naz Reid.

What did they all have in common? They knew the 140 percent constraint was lower than what they would make in FA. With the exception of Reeves, which is TBD but is probably a safe bet, they all got larger contracts afterwards. The problem isn't the 140 percent; it's that it was always an undermarket contract.

You could dismiss it before coming up with any number of reasons. For example, as you mentioned, maybe Zubots was simply seeking the stability of a long-term contract and didn't want to wait a single year, or maybe he just had a bad agent, or perhaps he loved Los Angeles so much that he was willing to sign for less early. Although it doesn't happen very often that a player signs for less than they clearly could have, it does happen frequently enough that many, including myself, didn't give it much thought at the time.

But after Kawhi, the Clippers don't get that kind of benefit anymore; it should be looked at with a fresh set of eyes.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

He’s a good rim protector, good roll man and good rebounder. If he were a better perimeter defender OR shooter (just one, not both) he’d be getting $30m a year. If he can maintain his current level of rim protection (he’s not elite but he’s in the 2nd tier, which is pretty good) then he’ll be worth this contract.

He has a mid range and a three point shot. Lue just has to take the handcuffs off of him and let him play. Especially when he's going to be the 3rd and maybe at times the 2nd option on offense this season.

Throughout his career, Zubac has taken 12 threes and made exactly 1. What 3 point shot are you talking about?

It always astounds me when realgmers act like some pro is a secretly deadly three point shooter. Though for a while I was a Jonas Valanciunas believer, back when it was just me and raptors management and few other people.

[Roscoe Sheed]

He has a mid range and a three point shot. Lue just has to take the handcuffs off of him and let him play. Especially when he's going to be the 3rd and maybe at times the 2nd option on offense this season.

Throughout his career, Zubac has taken 12 threes and made exactly 1. What 3 point shot are you talking about?

It always astounds me when realgmers act like some pro is a secretly deadly three point shooter. Though for a while I was a Jonas Valanciunas believer, back when it was just me and raptors management and few other people.

in fairness, I remember a game against the Clippers in which Jonas went 7 for 7 from 3 vs the Clippers several years ago- he is very capable of making 3s whereas Zubac never even shoots 3s

[ReggiesKnicks]

The fact that he turned down free agency when only a year away is an even bigger reason to look closely into this deal.

Most players turn down free agency.

Not for less money. Like Austin Reeves recently declined a 140 percent extension. So did Jaylen Brown. So did Lauri Markkanen. So did Domantas Sabonis. So did OG Anunoby. So did Naz Reid.

Naz Reid got a 140% raise. He just didn't want to opt-in and extend on his player option.

All these players are close to max players, which Zubac is not.

What did they all have in common? They knew the 140 percent constraint was lower than what they would make in FA. With the exception of Reeves, which is TBD but is probably a safe bet, they all got larger contracts afterwards. The problem isn't the 140 percent; it's that it was always an undermarket contract.

You could dismiss it before coming up with any number of reasons. For example, as you mentioned, maybe Zubots was simply seeking the stability of a long-term contract and didn't want to wait a single year, or maybe he just had a bad agent, or perhaps he loved Los Angeles so much that he was willing to sign for less early. Although it doesn't happen very often that a player signs for less than they clearly could have, it does happen frequently enough that many, including myself, didn't give it much thought at the time.

But after Kawhi, the Clippers don't get that kind of benefit anymore; it should be looked at with a fresh set of eyes.

You can believe what you want.