The Oklahoma City traded Serge Ibaka to the Magic earlier today in a some-what surprising move, and it appears that the Thunder made the decision without consulting Kevin Durant.
Thunder beat writer Anthony Slater shared the below tweet, which states that the Thunder decided to trade Ibaka without knowing if Durant is going to leave or stay.
Kevin Durant has not indicated any type of lean toward the Thunder, leaving or staying. Ibaka trade was made independent of that, I'm told.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 24, 2016
This likely means that the Thunder had already made the decision to move on from Ibaka after their playoff run ended, especially after seeing how impactful Steven Adams was against the Warriors. Shedding Ibaka’s $12.5 million salary and gaining some young pieces, actually gives the Thunder a better shot a keeping Durant for at least another year. This trade gives OKC some flexibility to make additional moves going into next season, as they prepare to challenge the Warriors again.
I would not be surprised if Kevin Durant signs a 2-year deal with an opt-out after 1 season, and tries to win one for OKC next year like LeBron did for Cleveland.