NBA: Serge Ibaka Will Not Play For Spain In Olympics, Focused On Orlando Magic

Some disappointing news for Spain. According to NBC Sports, Serge Ibaka is electing to not play for the country in the next Olympics. Instead, the recently traded NBA star will focus on the Orlando Magic, who will potentially give him a much bigger role than what he had with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Serge Ibaka loved playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. There, he was able to compete for NBA Championships with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, two of the best basketball players on the planet, on an annual basis. Despite not winning the big one, the trio were able to win a lot of games together.

Unfortunately for Serge Ibaka, though, the powers that be with the Oklahoma City Thunder felt that it was time for him to have a reduced role. The 6’10”, 240-pound forward went from being a dominant defensive force who also chipped in on offense to being just a role player.

Looks like @sergeibaka9 might need to update his @Twitter handle, as he has made his decision on uniform number … pic.twitter.com/kwMNBVQDsr

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) June 27, 2016

Since he is just 26 years of age, Serge Ibaka wanted more of a role. He knew that he could be a bigger star in the NBA. Ibaka has a ton of athleticism and talent to be one of the bigger names in the National Basketball Association.

Free agency also looms for Serge Ibaka. Next summer, he is free to sign with any team in the NBA. Ibaka is rightfully looking for a really huge pay day. He knows that he’s not going to be in the National Basketball Association forever. Ibaka needs to capitalize while he still can.

NBA reports that Serge Ibaka was traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis. It was a move that shocked many in the National Basketball Association, but it was one that the Thunder had to make.

By opting out of the Olympics, Serge Ibaka opens the door for another NBA player to join the Spain national team. Nikola Mirotic, a forward for the Chicago Bulls, is the most likely candidate to join the squad. Countries are only allowed to have one naturalized citizen, so without Ibaka around, Mirotic gets his chance.

If he joins the Spain national team, Nikola Mirotic can get a chance to play with a familiar face in Pau Gasol. The two of them played together for the Chicago Bulls last season. Gasol is a free agent and might be joining a different NBA team next season.

Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol is said to be heavily interested in playing for Spain in the Olympics. However, he’s currently recovering from an injury, so he might need to put his NBA goals ahead of his patriotic goals out of respect to the Grizzlies.

Since he’s still fairly young, Serge Ibaka will get another chance to represent Spain in the Olympics. Once he locks down a long term contract and several millions of dollars in the NBA, he can head back overseas to represent his country. Ibaka will more than likely receive a very generous contract next summer.

In order to get that generous contract next summer, Serge Ibaka is going to need to prove that he can be a star in the NBA. A very good year with the Orlando Magic in a bigger role could net him a maximum contract.

Serge Ibaka is one of the nice guys in the NBA. His teammates and coaches love him. Front office executives adore him. Plus, Ibaka does a lot of things for the community, which he will more than likely continue to do as a member of the Orlando Magic. That’s why many are rooting for Serge.

[Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]