Ibaka says business broke up Thunder: 'At some point, somebody had to leave'

Nothing lasts forever, and in NBA title-contender parlance, windows aren't open for long. There was a time when the Oklahoma City Thunder had a "Big 3" - and some would even stretch it into a "Big 4" if Serge Ibaka was included.

Yet the high-water mark for the franchise led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden was a five-game loss in the 2012 Finals, and now only Westbrook remains.

"This is basketball, it's business," Ibaka, now with the Toronto Raptors, told The Vertical podcast with Adrian Wojnarowski about the breakup of the Thunder dynasty that never really was.

"At some point, somebody had to leave. But I didn't expect that to happen so quick and so soon," he said. "At some point you knew somebody had to leave."

Ibaka's trade from the Thunder to the Orlando Magic on draft night last summer was seen as a roster upgrade in Oklahoma City's efforts to retain Durant.

Eleven days later, Durant decamped for the Golden State Warriors. Ibaka said his former teammate did what made him happy, and that's all that matters.

"I know its tough for OKC fans to understand that, but hey man, this game, when we start getting 36, 37, 38, it's going to be over."

Ibaka also added that the bellyaching that still exists almost five years after Harden's trade to the Houston Rockets is silly, given that Harden wouldn't be the MVP candidate he is now had he stayed with the Thunder.

"If James stayed with OKC ... he would not be the James he is right now," Ibaka said. "He was coming from the bench, and you've got a player like Russell and Kevin on the same team. He would still be a good player, but not what he is right now."