Milwaukee Bucks veteran big man Serge Ibaka has been away from the team for over two weeks.
On Friday, The Athletic’s insider Shams Charania revealed that the Bucks and Serge Ibaka have mutually agreed to find the veteran Ibaka a new home before the February 9th trade deadline. Reactions to the news that Serge Ibaka will be on the move were somewhat surprising mixed with wondering if Ibaka expected a different role when he re-signed with Milwaukee in the off-season.
It is possible that Serge Ibaka thought Brook Lopez might have a lighter minutes load than he has had after missing nearly the entire 2021-22 regular season with back surgery. That hasn’t been the case as Brook Lopez has been fantastic this season, playing well on both ends of the floor, leaving Ibaka as nothing more than insurance.
With Ibaka on the move in the next three weeks, what teams could potentially look to trade for a 33-year-old power forward on an expiring deal?
Teams that could trade for Milwaukee Bucks’ Serge Ibaka: Los Angeles Clippers
The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Serge Ibaka from the Los Angeles Clippers just last season at the trade deadline. The Bucks nabbed Ibaka to give the Bucks frontcourt depth as Brook Lopez’s future was a bit uncertain. The Clippers could essentially look to do the same, grabbing Ibaka for frontcourt depth, which Shams Charania reported at The Athletic (subscription required), the Clippers are looking for.
The Clippers could use Serge Ibaka to back up Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris in their frontcourt at the power forward or center positions. At 6-foot-10 and very well-grizzled in the ways of NBA basketball, Ibaka could navigate the post defensively and help space the floor for Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in essentially the same way the Milwaukee Bucks use Brook Lopez.
What would the Bucks get back from the Clippers in a deal for Serge Ibaka?
If I were Jon Horst, my first offer to the Los Angeles Clippers would be to send Grayson Allen and Serge Ibaka to the Clippers for Robert Covington. Serge Ibaka gets his trade wish back to a former team, the Bucks find a suitor for Grayson Allen, who they’ve previously shopped, and the Bucks get their switching wing defender, a player they had an interest in previously at that.
If the Clippers wanted to only take Ibaka in a deal, the Bucks could simply ask for draft compensation that they could use in a future deal.
Teams that could target Milwaukee Bucks’ Serge Ibaka: New York Knicks
The New York Knicks make sense as a destination for Serge Ibaka for several reasons. The first is that the Knicks’ starting center, Mitchell Robinson, is out for at least three weeks with a thumb injury.
Second, even when Robinson is healthy the Knicks’ backup center is Isaiah Hartenstein. No offense to Hartenstein, but he is no match for some of the dominant big men in the Eastern Conference such as the Joel Embiids, Bam Adebayos, and Giannis Antetokounmpos of the world.
If the Knicks have any ambition of making the playoffs, they will likely be buyers for a frontcourt player in the coming weeks. Serge Ibaka is a player on a veteran minimum contract, and a likely low asking price may be perfect for New York.
What would the Bucks get back from the Knicks in a deal for Serge Ibaka?
The Milwaukee Bucks could package Serge Ibaka and Jordan Nwora to the Knicks for Cam Reddish, a player I suggested the Bucks could be a suitor for in the offseason. The Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams interested in Reddish, and as noted during the Bucks and Knicks matchup last week, Reddish was a DNP and is just waiting to be traded.
Teams that could target Milwaukee Bucks’ Serge Ibaka: Phoenix Suns
The Suns are another team that would make sense as a potential landing spot for Serge Ibaka. The Suns lost JaVale McGee to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency. In years past, they have seemed to like having three deployable big men in their frontcourt, which the Milwaukee Bucks saw firsthand in the 2021 NBA Finals.
The other reason this trade makes sense for the Suns is that they need to deal Jae Crowder for immediate help. Chris Paul and Devin Booker are both injured, and the Suns are two games below .500. Their ship is sinking, and they are in danger of potentially missing the playoffs.
What could the Milwaukee Bucks get from the Suns for Serge Ibaka?
The Suns need Grayson Allen. With the aforementioned injury to Devin Booker, the Suns need another shooting guard. Grayson Allen would represent a significant upgrade over Landry Shamet on both ends of the floor. The Milwaukee Bucks could pair Grayson Allen and Serge Ibaka and get their guy in Jae Crowder.
The Suns would get immediate backcourt help and frontcourt depth they’ve shown they care about and finally get a return from Jae Crowder who hasn’t suited up for Phoenix this season.
Stay tuned for more analysis on what the Milwaukee Bucks do with Serge Ibaka.