10 Way-too-early 2024 trade deadline candidates Mavericks should monitor

7. Ivica Zubac

The Clippers made Zubac available this offseason as they look to reshape their roster. The 26-year-old has been their starting center for each of the last two years. He blocked a career-high 1.3 shots per game last season and should just be entering his prime.

Zubac is an elite rebounder that cashes in easy buckets. He has shot over 60 percent from the field for four straight seasons and narrowly missed averaging double-digit rebounds per game in 2023.

Zubac would instantly solve the Mavericks' woes on the glass, but it would not be a perfect fit. The seven-footer struggles defending in space as Dallas supports saw when Luka Doncic continually attacked that switch in the 2021 playoffs. Zubac earned a career-high 28.6 minutes per game last season, but can be played off the floor in certain matchups and struggles with foul issues.

Ivica Zubac is a massive upgrade over Dwight Powell, and the Dallas Mavericks have options if the opposition goes small. Maxi Kleber or Grant Williams can slide down to the five to better matchup. Zubac is just entering his prime, and Dallas could get his best seasons as he is under contract until the summer of 2025.

Will the LA Clippers keep him on the market through the deadline? It will likely depend on the team’s health and early season performance, which makes them a team to watch.