LA Clippers Trade Serge Ibaka to Milwaukee Bucks

The Clippers have dealt Serge Ibaka to the Bucks in exchange for Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The LA Clippers have made another move ahead of Thursday's 12:00 PST trade deadline. Numerous reports indicate that the Clippers are sending Serge Ibaka to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye. While it is unclear if this is the precursor to another move, these are the reported details as things currently stand.

Coming into the trade deadline, it was expected that the Clippers would move on from Eric Bledsoe and Serge Ibaka. With both of them having big expiring (or near-expiring) contracts, and both not necessarily fitting the timeline of this Clippers roster, trades felt inevitable. So far, the Clippers have made out pretty well after dealing those two players.

The deal for Norman Powell was an undisputed win for the Clippers, and while this Ibaka trade is initially underwhelming, there is some promising context. With the trade, the Clippers create a $9.7M taxpayer exception that can be used up until next season's trade deadline. This gives the Clippers some flexibility in future deals, even if one does not imminently follow the Ibaka trade. This seems to be the most appealing aspect of the deal, and the only real logical angle, because neither Hood nor Ojeleye project as contributors.

With just over two hours remaining until the trade deadline, there are still several chips expected to fall around the NBA. As the Clippers have shown over the years, they are never afraid to get involved if they see a way to improve. 

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