Earlier this season, I wrote about the sorry state of the Orlando Magic and since then, nothing has really changed. They are 20-36 overall and are currently on a four game losing streak, having won just two of their last 10 games. With things not going as they would like, the Magic are reportedly looking to move Serge Ibaka before the February 23rd trade deadline. Ibaka was acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder after last season's NBA Draft in exchange for Victor Oladipo and the draft rights to #11 pick Domantas Sabonis, so his time in Orlando has been really brief.
Marc Stein of ESPN has more details.
Seven months and change later, Orlando is exploring all of its options anew. League sources say the Magic are fielding calls from a handful of teams on Ibaka as the deadline approaches, amid undeniable concern that retaining the Congo native in free agency come July will prove much trickier than initially anticipated.
Sources say Toronto and Miami are among the Eastern Conference teams that have expressed interest in Ibaka this month. More than one rival club has expressed the belief that Orlando will use the next 10 days before the deadline to keep fielding offers and then, ultimately, choose the best available package for Ibaka on Feb. 23 and make the move.What is hard to gather at the moment is what the Magic are looking for in return. Given that Ibaka will hit unrestricted free agency in the summer, his value is diminished by the fact that there's no guarantee he stays where he gets sent to. That makes it harder for the Magic to get the kind of deal that they would prefer.
At the same time, Serge Ibaka is still a productive player, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. A team like the Toronto Raptors, who are desperately looking to improve their team for an NBA Finals push would really benefit from Serge Ibaka's presence for the postseason stretch, so trading for him is probably worth the gamble. Plus, if things go well, they should have no problem locking him up to a long-term deal. A big reason for why the Magic are looking to deal Ibaka appears to be due to him not being happy with the direction of the franchise. If he lands in a situation where he can compete, odds are good he sticks around.
If the Orlando Magic are really confident that Serge Ibaka bolts in free agency, then they should absolutely trade him and get back what they can. He's got a lot of value and they could get a lot back for him. What looks bad is that they gave up Victor Oladipo, a young budding all-star, to get him. If you give up a guy like Oladipo, you better hang to that piece for longer than half a season. Of course, if that piece isn't going to stay, then trading that piece makes sense. The Magic were hoping Ibaka would turn their franchise around and he hasn't delivered like they hoped he would. Hence, it makes sense for them to trade him even though it does look like trading Victor Oladipo was a mistake.
It will certainly be interesting to see what becomes of Serge Ibaka as the trade deadline approaches. If he lands with the right team, he could have an impact on the upcoming playoffs. Even though he isn't producing like the Magic were hoping, he's still a very talented player with a lot to offer. Any team looking to give their team a boost for the postseason has to be very intrigued by Ibaka's availability. At the right price, he's definitely worth rolling the dice on.
Update: The Associated Press is reporting that the Magic will trade Serge Ibaka to the Raptors for Terrence Ross and a 2017 1st round pick. Click here for details.
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