The big trade between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Orlando Magic was arguably the most significant thing to happen during the NBA Draft. The Thunder sent Serge Ibaka, a key cog in many a winning team, away in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and rookie Domatas Sabonis. There are a lot of ways to look at this from the Thunder’s perspective. Will they miss Ibaka’s defense and shot blocking? Can Oladipo improve his shooting? How much can Sabonis contribute at this point in his career? However, the biggest question is what does impending free agent Kevin Durant think about this? Now, we have our answer.
Kevin Durant to reporters in NYC on the Ibaka for Oladipo swap: "It's a good move" https://t.co/RvxOvCAfAv pic.twitter.com/wBCORjPXzn
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 28, 2016
The reason for this is simple. Not only has Durant been one of the best players in the league, and the leader of the Thunder, he’s also a free agent. If he wasn’t happy with the trade, it could hinder the chances of his returning to the team. Fortunately for OKC, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In short, Durant said “It’s a good move.”
Durant goes on to say he likes Oladipo, but it seems like he means more as a person, calling him a “buddy.” Although, he also says he will miss Ibaka, and praised Ibaka for his hard work on and off the court. In a vacuum, it seemed like a good move for the Thunder, and if Durant is going to praise the move, Oklahoma City has to be happy about that. The odds seem to be on Durant staying for at least one more year, and it seems like he’ll be just fine playing alongside Oladipo.
