Former Bucks Big Man Hints at NBA Return After 2 Years Away

May 25, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN: Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) and Raptors forward Serge Ibaka (9) defend against Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) during game six of the Eastern conference finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

A longtime NBA big man is looking to make his return to the world's most competitive basketball league at last.

Former three-time All-Defensive Team big man Serge Ibaka, who spent parts of his last two seasons in the league as a reserve for the Milwaukee Bucks, has hinted that he is building towards an NBA return.

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Ibaka shared a photo of himself working out in a gym at the University of Miami on his official X account.

@nba Comeback 🔐 pic.twitter.com/swjY7P280k

— Serge Ibaka (@sergeibaka) October 30, 2025

"@nba Comeback," Ibaka wrote, next to an emoji of lock — presumably to indicate he was locked in for his prep.

After spending 2022-23 as a little-used reserve in Milwaukee, Ibaka went abroad to continue his basketball career.

Ibaka's Overseas Adventures

He played first in Germany, for EuroLeague and Basketball Bundesliga squad Bayern Munich in 2023-24. Last season, Ibaka returned to Spanish EuroLeague club Real Madrid (for whom he had played briefly during the 2011 NBA lockout) last year.

In 24 EuroLeague games for Real Madrid during the 2024-25 season, the 6-foot-10 pro averaged 6.5 points on 56.3 percent shooting from the floor and 73.1 percent shooting from the foul line, plus 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in just 12.0 minutes per.

A mobile and vertical power forward/center, Ibaka enjoyed his most success during his formative NBA seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, from 2009-17, where he was twice the league leader in blocked shots and finished among the top four in Defensive Player of the Year voting for three consecutive seasons. He was flipped to the Toronto Raptors midway through the 2016-17 season, where he stayed through 2019-20. Ibaka won his lone league championship with a loaded Raptors squad — led by Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam — in 2019.

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Ibaka later followed Leonard to the LA Clippers for the 2020-21 season, but was traded to Milwaukee halfway through 2021-22. In 35 regular season games with the Bucks, Ibaka averaged 5.7 points on .506/.345/.714 shooting splits, 4.1 boards, and 0.5 assists.

Over the span of his 14-year NBA career so far, Ibaka has averaged 12.0 points while slashing .513/.359/.757, 7.1 boards, 1.9 blocks and 0.8 assists in the regular season.

He has not yet found a new NBA home as of this writing, but the season is young.

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