One of the more surprising moves of the offseason was the Oklahoma City Thunder trading away forward Serge Ibaka. OKC’s longtime defensive anchor was shipped off to Orlando in exchange for a package centered around Victor Oladipo.
Ibaka’s last year or two in OKC has been placed under a microscope before. There has been talk of the power forward being displeased with his role. There has been speculation that Ibaka wanted to be traded and perhaps asked the Thunder to do so.
But Ibaka is here to clear the air. The big man penned a piece for Sports Illustrated where he clarified his situation in OKC:
“I never asked to be traded, even though there was a lot of media conjecture that I was unhappy with my role. I had an exit meeting with Billy Donovan and Sam Presti after the season, and both went well. But this is still a business, everybody has to do what’s best for them, and I let my agent deal with the business side of things. I just focus on basketball. I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to go in and ask for a trade, and I would have been happy staying with the Thunder. Playing in the NBA was my dream, and I’d be happy playing anywhere.
“I’m disappointed that our group was never able to bring the city a championship, but I had some great times there, and so many moments I’ll never forget.”
Ibaka doesn’t explicitly deny rumors of his dissent. However, he is sure to make it clear that he did not ask for a trade, at least not directly. That may or may not be true but it’s important for Ibaka to fix his image in the event that it was tarnished. He will be a free agent next summer with the opportunity to make a lot of money. He does not need any negative press.
As for his current role, Ibaka seems excited to get to work on a new challenge:
“I feel like a rookie again. I’m thrilled to be in Orlando. I know that might sound crazy to some people, that I’m excited to go from a contender like the Thunder to a rebuilding team, one that hasn’t made the playoffs in four years, but playing now for Frank Vogel, a coach who prides himself on defense, is very exciting for me.
“We have a core of like-minded, young, athletic players, which is going to be very fun. We are an old-school, smashmouth team, and I can’t wait to don a Magic uniform on opening night.”
Serge Ibaka’s full piece for SI also includes some details about his upbringing and his time in Turkey this summer during the failed coup attempt. It’s definitely worth a read.
