Serge Ibaka was a Thunder mainstay, running the floor, getting blocks, being athletic in the paint for the OKC contenders. But after five years, the Thunder sent Serge down to Orlando for Victor Oladipo, a scoring threat that can take some of the pressure off Kevin Durant — if Durant is still in Oklahoma City, that is. Big Steven Adams‘ strong play in the postseason made Ibaka seem less necessary. And with almost all the scoring load shouldered by Durant and Russell Westbrook since James Harden left to be the main man in Houston, Oladipo looks to fill out a Big Three sort of scenario for the Thunder.
Is it enough to keep Dr. Durant, who might prescribe anything he wants this summer, happy and believing in his chances for a ring in OKC? Oladipo, who will enter his fourth year in the league, is a true scorer who might turn Russell Westbrook into a pure point guard yet — albeit the most athletic one in NBA history. The Thunder also get the rights to Domantas Sabonis, the highly regarded No. 11 pick in the NBA draft out of Gonzaga. Sabonis is the enormously talented son of hoops legend Arvydas Sabonis. Those are pieces — are they enough for KD?
