Serge Ibaka has been away from the Bucks for the past six games for personal reasons, but even when he was around the team he played a very limited role in Milwaukee, appearing in just 16 games. Brook Lopez is having a career year starting at center, Bobby Portis backs him up, and in key games Giannis Antetokounmpo will play some five. There’s not much room for another center.
Ibaka and the Bucks have agreed to find him a new team heading into the trade deadline, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Milwaukee Bucks and center Serge Ibaka have mutually agreed to find the 14-year NBA veteran a new home via trade as he remains away from the team, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 20, 2023
For teams looking for depth at center, Ibaka showed down the stretch in Milwaukee last season he could help a team (the Bucks got him in a trade from the Clippers, and he averaged seven points a game in 19 games). Ibaka, in his 14th NBA season, is also on a veteran minimum contract, so he won’t break the bank in a trade.
There are options. His old team the Clippers are looking for frontcourt depth. With Mitchell Robinson out at least three weeks with a fractured thumb, the Knicks could have interest in a trade. There are other teams as well. Expect a deal to get done.
