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How the Serge Ibaka Trade Set Up Oklahoma City’s Future
- Updated: December 25, 2016
BOSTON — Even as Russell Westbrook turns the oceanic NBA into his very own above-ground swimming pool, the Oklahoma City Thunder have no choice but to look ahead.
In the franchise’s first 30 games without Kevin Durant on its roster, short-term championship contention is in the rearview mirror, with day-to-day, big-picture improvement from their overhauled, inexperienced group now the primary focus.
Expectations are significantly lower than they were seven months ago, and everyone knows why: Durant now plays for the Golden State Warriors. But that decision was out of Oklahoma City’s control. The other foundation-changing shakeup, however, was not.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti always has his eyes on the future, and a couple of weeks before Durant left to team up with three other All-Stars, one of the NBA’s shrewdest tastemakers shipped Serge Ibaka’s expiring contract to the Orlando Magic for Victor Oladipo, Domas Sabonis and Ersan Ilyasova (who was eventually flipped to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jerami Grant).
Given the Thunder’s current cap situation—it’ll be difficult to create max room before Westbrook’s 30th birthday—this trade can be viewed as a valiant attempt to restock the cupboards. It allows a crack of sunlight to shine in on their long-term outlook.
Ibaka will go down as one of the most important players in franchise history, a reliable third wheel who shot threes and protected the rim. He was Oklahoma City’s starting power forward for about five seasons, ever since they moved Jeff Green to the Boston Celtics for Kendrick Perkins back at the 2011 trade deadline.
He’s a helpful player who’s doing OK in Orlando, with a career-high usage rate and three-point percentage. But Ibaka’s rebound and block rates are trending in the wrong direction; his athleticism wanes on both ends while opponents shoot a tick under 50 percent against an ostensibly intimidating wingspan at the rim—a worrisome number that’s up from the stout 43.6 percent it was last season.
Still, Oklahoma City entered the season knowing any one player couldn’t fill Ibaka’s shoes. He’s a unique talent whose combined strengths are difficult to find in one body.
“It’s not so much necessarily that we feel like we’ve got to replace Serge,” Oklahoma City head coach Billy Donovan said after his team’s Friday shootaround. “But how do we utilize the guys that we have now? Help them play to their strengths.”
This is where things get interesting. Ibaka’s technical replacement is Sabonis, a wide-bodied rookie who entered the league with advanced post moves and a respectable inside presence. In two seasons at Gonzaga, he attempted 300 more free throws than three-pointers (314 to 14).
But with Enes Kanter and Steven Adams already on board, the Thunder don’t need another option around the basket. They need shooting (and still do!), which helps explain Sabonis’ migration from the paint to the perimeter. He’s already attempted 72 threes and only six free throws. It was unexpected by just about everyone (including Sabonis), but he was still smart enough to work on his outside shot during the offseason and is making 44.4 …
