The Pacers will waive veteran big man Serge Ibaka, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link) first reported that Indiana was expected to cut Ibaka.
Indiana is also expected to waive second-year forward Terry Taylor, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
The Pacers are acquiring Ibaka as part of the three-team deal that is sending Jae Crowder to the Bucks, but he will never officially suit up for Indiana. Assuming he clears waivers, Ibaka might find some suitors amongst the contenders, though he was just on one of the best teams in the league and struggled to receive playing time.
The 33-year-old unfortunately hasn’t looked the same after having back surgery a couple years ago. He appeared in 16 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per contest.
After going undrafted out of Austin Peay in 2021, Taylor had a solid rookie season once he cracked Indiana’s rotation, averaging 9.2 points and 5.2 boards while shooting 61.4% from the field in 33 games (21.6 minutes). However, he hasn’t played much in year two, averaging just 8.8 minutes per night across 26 games in 2022/23.
Taylor’s deal for next season is non-guaranteed, so waiving him will only affect this season’s cap.
If our math is correct, the Pacers will still need to waive one more player as part of the trade with the Bucks — they’re adding three players, but had a full 15-man roster, and only two from the pre-trade roster (Taylor and Goga Bitadze) will reportedly be released. The team has to open up a spot for all three incoming players even though Ibaka will be waived.
Taylor could be an interesting flyer for a bad team. He hasn’t played well this year, but was quite good in his debut last year. Kid’s tough and has a developing jumper.
Which NBA player has played alongside the most talented teammates in their career, Serge Ibaka, Sedale Threatt, D’Angelo Russell, Don Nelson or someone else?
Threatt, no contest. Julius Irving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler and Hakeem, just off the top of my head.
Jordan & Magic too, among others. I wanna say he played with Kemp & Payton too
Never played with magic, he ended up being the starter when magic got that flu he couldn’t shake..
I Guess he didn’t get to play with Shaq and Kobe, for a year or less. He played with Van Exel, Elden Campbell, Eddie Jones, in those Lakers
I remember the first duo for the Lakers in NBA HangTime for Sega Génesis, was Van Exel – Threatt
Rodman is up there
Zeke, AD, Dumars, Aguirre, DRobinson, MJ, Pippen, Shaq, Kobe & Dirk… but it was another 1 of Worm’s legendary teammates that banged his wife tho
Ron Harper. Really played alongside. I believe he was a starter on both Jordan’s second 3 peat CHI teams, and at least one of the LAL championship team in the early 2000’s, as well the CLE team that drafted him (as talented as any team in the league at that time) and a LAC team that wasn’t that good but had names.
He was the starting PG for the 1999/00 Lakers that won the 1st champuonship of the three peat.
Sedale was deadly going to his left
You got that rite!!! With that off arm giving the low key push off.. money with that J!!
The Red Rooster can’t catch a break.
Ibaka to Clippers, link with his mates Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook
Phoenix, Brookyln, GS, Heat, Portland, New Orleans
I didn’t even know Ibaka was on the pacers tbh lol
Pacers using their cap space more wisely than the spurs.
But rather than waiving some players, couldnt they have sent one of the three incoming players them to Spurs for a little cash, so that Spurs get closer to the salary floor and Pacers had to waive less existing players?
Spurs should’ve tried to take whatever they could for the cap space below the salary floor, but failed to do so.