The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to terms with free agent center Serge Ibaka to return to the the team on a one-year deal. Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to break the news on social media.
While the details of the contract are not known yet, the Bucks could only afford to retain Ibaka if he agreed to veteran minimum salary.
Serge Ibaka with the Milwaukee Bucks
Serge Ibaka was acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks last season in the trade that sent Donte DiVincenzo to the Sacramento Kings. DiVincenzo was originally supposed to be traded to the Kings for Bogdan Bogdanovich. Of course, that deal fell through and the Bucks were penalized a second round pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
After coming to the Milwaukee Bucks, Ibaka played in 19 games, starting two of them. He averaged 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game. While with the Bucks, Ibaka shot 52/35/80 from the field.
It is easy to see why the Bucks wanted to bring Ibaka back. Not only is he an affordable backup center, he is also a big that can spread the floor. He is the perfect compliment to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis, who are more dynamic scorers. Additionally, he has a similar playing style to Brook Lopez. This means he can keep the flow of the game going in the Bucks’ favor.
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