The Los Angeles Clippers lost a huge piece in Montrezl Harrell in the offseason. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year left the team in free agency to join their city rivals Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most shocking moves of the summer.
That’s why they had to dig deep in the market to sign former NBA champion Serge Ibaka. Ibaka had already been teammates with Kawhi Leonard in the Toronto Raptors, helping them win the ring two seasons ago.
Unsurprisingly, Kawhi Leonard actually played a huge role in recruiting Ibaka to Los Angeles, meaning that it’s pretty clear that they hold a close relationship, even if Leonard isn’t much of a talker.
Kawhi Leonard Jokes That The Clippers Have Serge Ibaka On The Trading Block
Nonetheless, Ibaka paid Leonard back his trust by accidentally elbowing him in the mouth, forcing Kawhi to get stitches, miss a couple of games, and play with a strange mask once he was able to come back.
When asked about his new look and how his teammates reacted, Leonard acknowledged that some of them have mocked him and joked by adding that “Serge can’t talk too much. We got him on the trading block right now. Whoever wants him, let us know.”
Tyronn Lue Shuts Down The Serge Ibaka Trade Rumors
Needless to say, this was supposed to be just a joke between two teammates and friends and that didn’t mean that the Clippers were actually trying to move Ibaka, who got off to a great start to the season.
However, it seems like some people around the NBA actually took that seriously and even reached out to coach Tyronn Lue about Ibaka’s availability, so he had to clear the air about the situation: “That’s off the table. Somebody told me about it today, that’s pretty funny,” Lue laughingly said.
Thus far, Serge Ibaka is averaging 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game on 48% from the floor, 37% from deep, and 75%from the free-throw line, so yeah, they better hold on to him for now.