After his first season with the L.A. Clippers was cut short with an injury, Serge Ibaka has decided to pick up his player option worth $9,720,900, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
As of writing, he is projected to be the sixth-highest paid player on the Clippers' payroll.
Ibaka's decision secures another big body on the team's lineup alongside Ivica Zubac. In his first season with the Clippers, the 2019 NBA champion averaged 11.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 42 games. He shot 51% from the field and 34% on 3-pointers.
The Clippers fell short of what could have been their first NBA Finals appearance, succumbing to the Phoenix Suns in six games. While Kawhi Leonard's presence was sorely missed in that series, there's no denying how Ibaka could've helped L.A.'s cause with his experience and ability to body up Deandre Ayton.
Ibaka managed to remain relatively healthy in recent years until he hit a snag in Los Angeles. It's a safe bet that he'll come out next season with extra motivation. After all, he's only 31 years old.
Joining Ibaka and Zubac on the Clippers' big-man rotation is Marcus Morris. Los Angeles still has its mid-level exception which they can use this offseason on another player.
The Clippers are coming off a busy draft, trading up from No. 25 to the No. 21 slot in order to select Tennessee's Keon Johnson. They also engineered a separate trade with the Orlando Magic for Jason Preston. But one of the more intriguing additions is perhaps B.J. Boston at No. 51.
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