INGLEWOOD — Reserve center Isaiah Jackson came to the Clippers in the trade that sent Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers last month, the And-1 the team acquired along with rising star Bennedict Mathurin.
Despite his resume, the first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft was initially viewed as the Clippers’ third-string center behind starter Brook Lopez and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser. The 6-foot-8 post player was destined to see minutes in garbage time, if he got on the court at all.
But all that changed when Niederhauser required season-ending foot surgery, leaving Jackson as the primary backup, a position he has embraced over the past month. After a slow introduction to the Clippers’ offense (13 minutes over three games), Jackson has flourished.
“I knew my capability,” Jackson said. “I was in the gym. I wasn’t playing, just trying to stay ready for when my name is called.”
He has averaged 7.4 points on 73.4% shooting, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 15 appearances in a Clippers uniform. While his defense can be questionable, his mobility, wingspan and athleticism make him a solid rim protector with more potential. Jackson has 18 blocked shots, [including one in the Clippers’ 129-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night](https://www.ocregister.com/2026/03/23/balanced-clippers-remain-hot-from-long-range-bury-bucks/).
“He’s been really good,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “I think rebounding the basketball, his ability to switch one through five on the floor has been really good for us.
“(As well as) his ability to run the floor, his offensive rebounds, lob dunks, and being able to post smaller guys when they try to switch. He’s been able to post smaller guys they’ve been throwing at him, and he’s been able to take advantage around the rim.”
Jackson said the trade to the Clippers caught him by surprise.
“It took me a minute to just wrap my head around the whole process and stuff,” he said.
The Lakers initially drafted Jackson out of Kentucky with the No. 22 overall pick and turned around and sent him to the Pacers, where he played for four seasons. He made 36 appearances (with 15 starts) in his rookie season, averaging 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.3 assists.
Over the next two seasons, Jackson showed increased growth in his game and started 15 games. But on Nov. 1, 2024, he tore his Achilles’ tendon, ending his season and progress. The injury followed a concussion that had knocked him out of several games.
“I just had a rough year after the concussion and dealing with the Achilles stuff,” Jackson said, who returned the following season and averaged 6.4 points and 5.6 rebounds.
With a quiet confidence, Jackson is slowly emerging from the shadows. He’s no longer viewed as a throw-in trade piece.
“I feel anyone would feel some type of way about the situation,” Jackson said. “At first, I definitely was thinking that way. But once I started to process everything and be like, I’m here to play basketball.
“I know how the season goes. I’ve been playing for five years. I know the ups and downs of the season. And once I figured that out, my main objective was to just stay ready and when my name got called, do what I do best.”
It’s an attitude Jackson has carried with him throughout his life.
Jackson grew up in a low-income area of Pontiac, Michigan, bouncing from his mother’s house to his father’s place after his parents split up when he was 6 years old. The instability was hard on Jackson but not as difficult as watching his father bounce in and out of jail and his mother work tirelessly to provide for Isaiah and his four siblings.
“I came from a humble, humble beginning. … I grew up poor,” Jackson said, “and I just wanted more for myself. And once I got the opportunity, I haven’t looked back.
“I think that’s what keeps me motivated, like not wanting to go back there and let my family down because I know they’re very proud of me. I just want to do better, do better in life.”
Jackson has rebuilt his relationship with his father, Wesley, who came to L.A. to watch his son play.
“Seeing him there and him supporting me is always dope,” he said.
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