LA Clippers: 4 best new homes if Serge Ibaka leaves this offseason
By Evan Desai
Serge Ibaka has a decision to make this offseason in regards to his future with the LA Clippers.
If he picks up his player option, he’ll make $9,720,900 next season.
If he opts out, he’ll be able to test the market and see if he can make more. If he does step back and evaluate all his options, there sure are a lot of teams that need help at center. There are four great options for Ibaka if he chooses to take his talents away from LA this offseason.
No. 4 best new home for Serge Ibaka if he leaves the LA Clippers this offseason: The Oklahoma City Thunder
If Serge Ibaka wants to go somewhere else other than the LA Clippers, the Oklahoma City Thunder need a center.
They had two centers on their team this year, Mike Muscala and Tony Bradley.
Neither of them played in many games, and Muscala didn’t even average four rebounds per contest.
They averaged a combined 1.1 block per game. Ibaka averaged that by himself this season.
Neither one averaged double-digit points per game, but Ibaka put up 11.1. This is all with him only needing 23.3 minutes per game to do it.
Neither Muscala nor Bradley have played in anywhere near as much playoff basketball than Ibaka, and Ibaka has quite the resume at that.
Averaging two blocks per game in the postseason, Ibaka has won conferences twice, and won a title once.
Both centers on the Thunder’s 2020-2021 roster don’t have any starting experience in the playoffs. The Thunder have seen what it’s like to have a hole at center, and they would value Ibaka and make him a big part of their plans next year if he headed back to his former team.