Hoops Nightly
Ivica Zubac
Pacers · C · 29
Ivica Zubac
vs
2025-26
Walker Kessler
Lakers · C · 25
Walker Kessler
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

Ivica Zubac vs Walker Kessler

5-12categories
Zubac · Kessler
Ivica Zubac
Zubac
Pacers
2025-26
Kessler
Lakers
Walker Kessler
48
Games
availability
5
30.1
Minutes
per game
30.8
14.1
Points
per game
14.4
10.6
Rebounds
per game
10.8
2.2
Assists
per game
3.0
1.2
Steals + blocks
per game
3.2
1.8
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
3.2
59.8%
Field goal %
70.3%
0.0%
Three-point %
0.0 vs 1.6 attempts
75.0%
71.1%
Free throw %
70.0%
62.2%
True shooting
TS%
78.6%
18.6%
Usage
USG%
16.7%
11.0%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
15.5%
17.8%
Rebound %
of available
16.7%
-2.4
Net rating
on court
+4.8
13.0%
PIE
player impact estimate
13.8%
-1.0
Plus-minus
per game
+2.8
Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Walker Kessler scored more in 2025-26, 0.3 points a game apart (14.4 vs 14.1), on Zubac's heavier usage (18.6% vs 16.7%).

Kessler is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 78.6% to 62.2%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Kessler (3.0 vs 2.2 assists), the glass to Kessler (10.8 vs 10.6 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Zubac played 43 more games (48 vs 5 of 82).

With Kessler on the floor his team outscored opponents by +4.8 per 100 possessions, against -2.4 for Zubac; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Zubac $20.3M through 2027-28, Kessler $30.2M through 2029-30. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Zubac
2025-26
Kessler
17-31
Record when playing
2-3
11.8
Points at home
21.7
15.9
Points on the road
3.5
13.5
Points in wins
23.5
14.4
Points in losses
8.3
33
Season high
25
2
30-point games
0
24
Double-doubles
2

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
Zubac · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 vs MIL11 pts · 11 reb · 2 ast
Tue, Oct 13 at OKC13 pts · 13 reb · 5 ast
Sat, Oct 10 vs ATL11 pts · 5 reb · 2 ast
Wed, Oct 7 vs MIN6 pts · 3 reb · 2 ast
Wed, Mar 18 vs POR18 pts · 8 reb · 3 ast
Kessler · last 5
Fri, Oct 16 vs DEN6 pts · 6 reb · 4 ast
Tue, Oct 13 vs GSW11 pts · 9 reb · 1 ast
Tue, Oct 6 at GSW0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Mon, Oct 5 at SAC0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Fri, Oct 31 at PHX4 pts · 13 reb · 1 ast
Zubac · contract
2026-27$20.3M
2027-28$21.8M
Kessler · contract
2026-27$30.2M
2027-28$31.7M
2028-29$33.3M
2029-30player option$34.8M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Zubac vs
Naz Reid · Nikola Vucevic · Jarrett Allen · Maxime Raynaud
Kessler vs
Ivica Zubac · Nikola Vucevic · Naz Reid · Jarrett Allen

Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).