Pacers sending Isaiah Jackson to Clippers as part of Ivica Zubac trade

Another former Wildcat is on the move.

Roughly 30 minutes before the 3:00 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline hit, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke a significant transaction headlined by one of the top big men in the league. The Los Angeles Clippers will reportedly send All-Defense center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for a couple of players and draft capital.

One of those Pacer players is 6-foot-9 center Isaiah Jackson, who suited up for Kentucky during his one-and-done season in 2020-21. Indiana is trading Jackson, guard Bennedict Mathurin, two first-round picks (2026 protected, 2029 unprotected), and one second-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for Zubac and forward Kobe Brown.

Jackson joins the likes of Anthony Davis (Wizards), Rob Dillingham (Bulls), and Nick Richards (Bulls) as former Kentucky players traded ahead of the deadline.

The Pacers are sending Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and one second-round pick to the Clippers for Zubac and Kobe Brown, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/AFQmRFVrMQ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2026

Jackson isn’t the main ingredient in this deal, but he could be in line for more playing time in Los Angeles playing alongside Kawhi Leonard and now Darius Garland.

The one-time ‘Cat appeared in 38 games this season (14 starts) for the Pacers, posting per-game averages of 6.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in 16.8 minutes. He’s shooting 58.2 percent from the field and 68.9 percent from the free-throw line. With Zubac and Brown headed to Indianapolis, the Clippers’ frontcourt consists of Nic Batum, John Collins, Brook Lopez, and Yanic Konan Niederhäuser. There will be an opportunity for Jackson to make the rotation.

A fresh start might just be what he needs, too. He was selected 22nd overall by the Pacers in 2021 and had been with the franchise ever since. But he’s yet to average more than nine points per contest and has only appeared in 53 percent of games since entering the league. A torn Achilles limited him to just five games played last season, although that didn’t stop Indiana from signing him to a three-year, $21 million deal this past summer. Jackson will have two more fully guaranteed seasons left on his contract with the Clippers.