DALLAS — The Clippers are trading center Serge Ibaka, a former major free-agency signing whose tenure was marred by injury, to Milwaukee as part of a four-team exchange that will net the Clippers wings Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye from Milwaukee, according to a person with knowledge of the terms who is not authorized to speak publicly about it.
The trade, which also involved Detroit and Sacramento, will not net the Clippers any draft picks, the source said, but creates a traded-player contract exception worth $9.7 million, the size of Ibaka's expiring salary, and streamlines the team's center rotation.
Coach Tyronn Lue, speaking at the team's shootaround Thursday morning, said he is looking forward to playing smaller lineups more often, though he could not discuss the trade specifically because it was not yet official.
