NBA Draft: Lakers select Croatian center Ivica Zubac at No. 32

EL SEGUNDO — The Lakers selected Croatian seven-foot center Ivica Zubac with the No. 32 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Numerous NBA mock drafts have compared Zubac to Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, though it remains unclear how soon Zubac will play in the NBA. The Lakers could stash him overseas to give him more time to develop.

Zubac helped the Croatian team win the silver medal in the Under-19 World Championships, averaging 17.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. He also played last season for KK Cibona in Croatia, though he left amid reported issues with decreased playing time over a coaching change.

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