Serge Ibaka, Bucks mutually agree to find veteran big man a new team via trade, per report

Ibaka has played in only 14 games this season

The Milwaukee Bucks and Serge Ibaka have mutually agreed to find the veteran big man a new team through trade, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Ibaka has been away from the team due to what has been described as personal reasons.

The Bucks acquired Ibaka at last season's trade deadline and did so largely due to the questions surrounding the health of Brook Lopez. Now Lopez is healthy and thriving, and with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis entrenched, there simply aren't minutes available for Ibaka. If he wants to play, he'll need a new team.

Ibaka, 33, is a 14-year NBA veteran who has been a critical component of several contending teams. He won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and helped the Oklahoma City Thunder contend for much of the earlier portion of that decade. He has also played for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers.

At his peak, Ibaka was the rare big man who could protect the rim and shoot 3-pointers at a high level. While he can still shoot from deep, the rest of his game has declined due to age. Once one of the NBA's best shot-blockers, Ibaka has blocked only 14 shots across 35 games in Milwaukee over the past two seasons. He was averaging a career-low 4.1 points per game for the Bucks this season, but Milwaukee is one of the NBA's deeper teams up front. Perhaps a team in greater need of a big man will give Ibaka a look between now and the deadline.