Clippers player Ivica Zubac agrees to a three-year, $58.6 million contract extension

Ivica Zubac and the Clippers agreed to a three-year, $58.6 million contract extension on Friday, rewarding the center for what one team official called his “career year.”

It was the maximum allowable extension Zubac could sign, and according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, he is now guaranteed four years and $70 million through the 2027-2028 season. His current contract had one year and $11.7 million remaining.

Zubac, 27, averaged a career-high 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season, including a double-double last month. He then averaged 16.2 points in the six-game Western Conference playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. He was also instrumental in helping his teammates score baskets, according to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

“We love Zu and would like to keep Zu here,” said Frank during his end-of-season press conference about the 2.08 m tall Croatian.

“I think James (Harden) had a lot to do with him getting it done,” Frank said of Zubac's career season. “I think Zu led the league in scoring percentage between 6- and 8-footers. He developed a floater with both hands. I think he was second in the number of points he scored off post-ups behind (Kristaps) Porzingis (of the Boston Celtics).”

Zubac also held opponents to 49.6 percent shooting last season, the best in the league among players who blocked more than 200 shots, according to Second Spectrum. He played in 68 of the team's 82 games last season, and the Clippers went 42-26 in those games.