uperstar Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka are close, and the relationship stems from the fact that they played together in Oklahoma City. Ibaka has said on many occasions that he loves the city of Toronto and it's wonderful fan base, but now that he is an unrestricted free agent, he has a big choice to make that will completely alter how the rest of his career pans out.
KD and Kyrie have been keeping tabs on potential names that they want to fill the Nets roster with, and Ibaka is someone that Durant is trying to recruit, per Mike Mazzeo of Forbes.
Both Durant and Ibaka had endured playoff battles together, and even made the finals as teammates back in 2012, hence it is not surprising that Ibaka said the following about his friend to FanSided earlier this year.
"We're very close, he's like my brother."
Ibaka, now 31, is coming off a productive NBA season with the Raptors, where he averaged 15.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and shot 38.5% from the three point line. He can play either the 4 or the 5, and can still protect the rim effectively. The Brooklyn Nets can only offer him the $5.7 million taxpayers mid level exception, which is a far cry from his $23.3 million salary last season.
With a plethora of NBA teams giving Ibaka a serious look, Durant is likely recruiting him from not only a familiarity level, but a chance for another championship. The Nets are going for a run at a third star, such as Bradley Beal, Victor Oladipo, or Jrue Holiday.
The narrative that Durant only won because he joined a 73-9 team is something he wants to put to rest forever, and Ibaka is a piece that can help him achieve this.
