Ivica Zubac was perusing the ice cream section at Ralph’s on a late-night mission for his fiancée on July 5 when his phone began to buzz incessantly.



His text messages and social media notifications all shared the same euphoric message: The Clippers are signing Kawhi Leonard and acquiring Paul George from the Thunder.



Zubac lost his composure in front of cartons of Ben & Jerry’s and Halo Top.



“I was probably more hyped about it than about my contract,” Zubac told The Athletic in a recent wide-ranging Q&A. “I was just happy. That meant only one thing: We’re going to compete for a championship.”



A lot changed for Zubac that night.



Within 12 hours of the Clippers’ acquisitions of Leonard and George, Zubac, a 22-year-old restricted free agent, re-signed with the Clippers on a four-year, $28 million deal, confirming he’s the team’s center of the present and the...