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Serge Ibaka has signed a three year contract with Ricoh Manresa, a low-profile team in spanish first division (ACB League).

The buyout could be NBA-friendly (Ibaka interest in NBA) or could be expensive (because the spanish team had to pay a buyout to sign him from CB L'Hospitalet. The answer could be in between.

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/baloncesto/acb/es/desarrollo/1152513.html

Thanks for posting this article. Information like this I haven't seen anywhere else is the reason I decided to sign up for this forum.

Now name the team already!

May be for the best,
Ibaka has a ton of great tools, but is still very raw and playing a few more seasons in Europe to round out those rough edges before he joins the team may be a good thing.

From Darnell Mayberry DOK staff writer:

Ibaka's contract with Ricoh Manresa has NBA buyout clauses at the end of each season that could allow him to join Oklahoma City's franchise before the deal expires.

Financial terms of the contract and buyout clauses are unknown, but under NBA rules teams can pay up to $500,000 to buy out a player from a foreign team.

Full article from DOK:

http://newsok.com/ibaka-signs-3-year-pact-with-pro-team-in-spain/article/3279031/?tm=1217941481

Will they(Spanish league) let him go in 2 years for that kind of money, or will he need to play out his 3 year contract, and will he play for 24 draft pick money. Haven't seen what they are going to pay him over the 3 year either. Guess we don't have to worry about that for a couple of years.

I think this is great for him and us. He gets to play in one of the top leagues. He's only 18 so he can play out that whole contract and only be 21 at the end. As long as he develops over there thats all i care about.

Agree with bmw .3 years experience and only 21 we shouldnt have a Sene mark two on our hands.

Don't blame him. Catalonia is a desirable and beautiful place to live.

Presti and the rest of the Oklahoma City front office had a part in setting up this deal. They didn't want to bring him over right away, and will look to bring him over after a year or two. Presti had a big part in draft Ian Mahinmi, and I expect him to do the same thing with Ibaka in terms of brining him over after further time overseas, and then developing him for a full season or two in the D-League.