But Ibaka’s tenure in Wisconsin didn’t exactly go down in the way he expected. His playing time diminshed, as usually happens with aging players, but they never gave him an explanation.

That’s why the former Oklahoma City Thunder standout didn’t hesitate to put the team and former coach Mike Budenholzer on blast, ripping him for how they dealt with his situation.

Serge Ibaka Takes A Shot At Mike Budenholzer

“(Budenholzer) told me to my face,” Ibaka told Shams Charania. ‘Listen, you’re coming here, I promise you nothing, but you never know, it’s a long season, guys can have injuries, you have to stay ready’.”

“Going there, I said, ‘cool, I’m going to stay ready,’ Ibaka added. “I’m a professional and so grateful to be in this position. It’s a blessing no matter if I am playing or not. But now when things start getting more confused for me mentally was like when a guy got injured and nobody called my name to play. And when those guys came back, that’s when you called me. And then I play one game and then you don’t play me for three weeks? On top of that, there was no communication, so that’s mainly the reason why I left.”

“When I go talk to the front office, they tell me different things,” the big man continued. “They love me. They want me to be there, they want me to stay. And when I go back on the court, it’s different. It got to some point where I cannot take this anymore. I love this game so much, but if this is going to take my peace of mind, my joy, it’s not worth it. I earned my respect in this league. At least communicate. I’m not asking about playing, I’m just asking for communication.”

At the end of the day, this is a business, and most organizations deal with it as such. But players are also human beings, and all they want is to know what’s going on.

Darvin Ham now has a much better roster in his hands. They’re versatile on defenseand have enough sharpshooting on offense to make up for their spacing issues. But they’re still not done making moves.

As things stand out, the Lakers still have one roster spot available and plenty of options in the buyout market. Here, we’ll discuss some of the few that could actually help them make a deep playoff run.

NBA Rumors: 3 Potential Buyout Candidates For The Lakers

3. Will Barton

Will Barton often gets overlooked, but he can ball. He can score from all three levels, is a streaky shooter, and has enough size and handling skills to play and defend multiple positions.

Barton wants to pursue a new direction, and he’s not a part of the Washington Wizards’ plans. He could give Darvin Ham another sharpshooting wing, as well as some size for their jumbo lineups.

2. Serge Ibaka

While he’s no longer the lockdown rim protector he used to be, Serge Ibaka is a bonafide veteran in this league. His physicality, screen-setting, rebounding, and even new-found shooting could come in handy for this team.

With Thomas Bryant out, the Lakers are in need for another backup Center behind Mo Bamba. Ibaka has proven that he can give any team quality minutes as a rebounding, defensive-oriented big.

1. Kevin Love

Kevin Love’s role with the Cleveland Cavaliers continues to dip. The team is looking to getyounger, faster, and more athletic, so it’s normal to see that they’re ready to move on from their veteran.

Love already knows what it’s like to team up with LeBron James to pursue an NBA championship. Moreover, no one can trust Anthony Davis to stay healthy, and he’d be a deluxe insurance policy for him.

But the upcoming 2022-2023 season could be different for the Bucks since one of the players who came to the team to change things is Serge Ibaka (NBA Champion with Raptors), he came from the Los Angeles Clippers after playing four seasons with the Toronto Raptors and another six with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Serge Ibaka knows what it’s like to play in the postseason, twelve almost uninterrupted appearances from 2010 to 2022 with the only exception during 2015-2016, which would also be his last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Serge Ibaka holds a unique dunk block record like no other active NBA player

The NBA is tracking play-by-play stats since the 1996-1997 season, before that the stats were more generalized and valuable data was lost for decades but thanks to that Serge Ibaka is the player with the most blocked dunk attempts since the aforementioned season with 141 blocked attempts.

Serge Ibaka is number one on the top ten list with blocked dunk attempts, second best is Alonzo Mourning with 132 and third on the list is Dikembe Mutombo with 129, but eight of the 10 players on the list are retired, only Ibaka and Brook Lopez are the active players.

1. Serge Ibaka – 141
2. Alonzo Mourning – 132
3. Dikembe Mutombo – 129
4. Tim Duncan – 111
5. Theo Ratliff – 89
6. Joel Przybilla – 89
7. Jermaine O’Neal – 87
8. Emeka Okafor – 81
9. Brook Lopez – 78
10. Amar’e Stoudemire – 77

**Data by @NBAcrazystats

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.

At first glance, this year’s free-agent class isn’t exactly the richest in terms of talent or top-tier playersbut it has countless role players that could make a huge difference on contending teams.

That’s why today, we’ve put together a list featuring the top 7 free agents that could make an impact on teams trying to make it to the NBA Finals. Notably, we won’t include Anthony Davis because he’s a lock to resign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

9. Dwight Howard

2019/20 Stats: 7.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 0.7 APG

Even if he’s no longer the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate he once was, Dwight Howard proved that he can still be a huge contributor toa championship team. He was in the best shape of his career and provided a lot of energy on both ends of the glass.

Howard is still an elite rim runner and rim protector and he already said that he won’t take a veteran minimum deal again after winning his first ring. If he stays locked in, he could be a major addition for a contending team on a one-year deal.

8. Fred VanVleet

2019/20 Stats: 17.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 6.6 APG

Fred VanVleet was honest about his plans for free agency. He said that he’s already an NBA Champion and now just wants to cash in after enduring a tough journey on his way to the league. It’s fair, and he’s earned it.

‘Steady Freddy’ broke out as a scorer and playmaker this season after already proving that he could be a lockdown defender in the backcourt as well. He’s likely going to be overpaid, though, as he’s better off as a role player and there are still some doubts about his ability to be ‘the man’.

7. Serge Ibaka

2019/20 Stats: 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.4 APG

Serge Ibaka continues to be a reliable source of energy on both ends of the floor. He’s no longer the top-notch rim protector he was during his days at OKC, but he can still play solid defense in the post and the perimeter.

Ibaka has also added the three-point shot to his repertoire which is a must nowadays for big men, and he’s rumored to be on the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers‘ radar if the Toronto Raptors don’t bring him back.

6. Montrezl Harrell

2019/20 Stats: 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.7 APG

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has earned his money, that’s for sure. However, it’s unlikely that the Los Angeles Clippers will be willing to commit a lot of cash for Montrezl Harrell after their meltdown last year.

The Clippers are reportedly going to look for a third star in the offseason and keeping Harrell will be tricky. He’s a never-ending source of energy and an outstanding offensive rebounder, but whether he’s good enough to start and sign a big contract is yet to be seen.

5. Jerami Grant

2019/20 Stats: 12.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.2 APG

The Denver Nuggets would be making a huge mistake if they let Jerami Grant walk away, although they may have no choice if other teams showup with a big bag of cash, which is likely to be the case.

Grant has improved as a scorer from all three levels and his versatility as a defender could come pretty handily for teams lacking size. He can guard one through five and could even play as an undersized center from time to time.

4. Tristan Thompson

2019/20 Stats: 12.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.1 APG

LeBron James made sure that Tristan Thompson got his money in his last contract. Now, he knows that he’s going to have to take a massive discount if he wants to go back to contending for a ring.

Thompson is one of the best offensive rebounders in the league and has made great strides as a defender as well, although his offense is still limited, to say the least. His skill set could be perfect for teams needing an interior presence and second-chance opportunities.

3. Joe Harris

2019/20 Stats: 14.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 APG

People continue to sleep on Joe Harris despite the fact that he’s been one of the most efficient volume shooters in the league for the past couple of years. Now, there aren’t going to be many touches for him in the Brooklyn Nets.

Harris is the best sharpshooter in this year’s free agency class and he already got paid a nice bag, so perhaps he’ll now pursue his first ring. There’s no doubt that there will be plenty of teams waiting in line to acquire his JJ Redick-ish services.

2. Danilo Gallinari

2019/20 Stats: 18.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.9 APG

I guess that we can all agree that if it wasn’t for injuries, then Danilo Gallinari would be a multiple-time All-Star and one of the best scorers in the league. That’s why he keeps getting paid despite being so injury-prone.

The Italian forward has a rare combination of size, speed, and shooting skills that many contending teams could find helpful. He’s likely looking to cash in the lastlucrative deal of his career.

1. Carmelo Anthony

2019/20 Stats: 15.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.5 APG

And last but not least, we find Carmelo Anthony. Everybody should be waiting in line outside his house to apologize to him after dubbing him a toxic player and pointing him out as the scapegoat over and over.

Melo proved againthat he’s one of the greatest scorers of all time by hitting huge clutch shots for the Blazers last year. He embraced his lesser role and showed that he still has a lot left in the tank, and any contending team could use his timely and efficient scoring touch.