Orlando Magic Stepping Up Efforts To Trade Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka’s time with the Orlando Magic may be coming to a close. As the team tries a course correction, Ibaka’s name has entered the conversation.

The draft night trade of Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic was one greeted with plenty of confusion. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, they were moving a key piece to their success for younger, cheaper players.

It was a confusing move that made many question the direction of the team. While it would have been the right move after Kevin Durant left, one has to wonder if it factored into his decision. For the Magic, giving up young assets for a rental was equally baffling.

Few viewed the Magic last season as being one piece away from the playoffs. Unless that piece was a bonafide star, it was still going to be hard to overcome the flaws in their roster.

But cashing in young assets for what could be just one season of Ibaka was far from the only curious decision they made. After acquiring Ibaka, the team signed Bismack Biyombo to a large contract. They then signed Jeff Green to play both forward positions.

The additions of Ibaka and Green pushed rising Magic star Aaron Gordon out of his natural position at power forward.

Now it appears as though the Magic are once again looking to shake up their roster. With Ibaka likely commanding a near-max deal on the open market, the team needs to evaluate where it is in it’s development. For a front-office on the hot seat, a panic deal appears likely.

As Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reports, the team is increasing it’s efforts to move Ibaka.

"It has not taken long for buyers’ remorse to kick in. League sources told Sporting News that the Magic have picked up their attempts to move Ibaka ahead of next month’s trade deadline, eager to ensure that they come away with some return for a player who does not figure to be in Orlando long. Ibaka will be a free agent this summer. There is no chance of a Biyombo trade, not after the Magic paid him $70 million for four years this offseason"

Deveney also went on to discuss what the Magic would want in an Ibaka deal:

"“They’re asking too much,” one front office executive said. “(The Magic) would probably like to make a few moves there, but Ibaka is the one they’re really pushing because he is going to leave. But they have had too high a price. They want a young player and a pick, two young players — you know, a package that can get them back some assets. They’re not going to get that. Not for three, maybe four months of Serge Ibaka.”"

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The eagerness of Orlando to try and get a significant return shouldn’t be surprising. The Magic front office has been bashed in recent years for their poor trade returns. Last year the team traded talented forward Tobias Harris for the expiring deals of Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova.

Neither player is with the team, while Harris is excelling in Detroit. They then traded Channing Frye for Jared Cunningham and a second-round pick, a low price for a player that wound up being a crucial part of a championship team.

So while the Magic may want to undo those wrongs, they may be in a tough position. Those past deals inevitably impact how other teams look at Orlando as an organization. With the team feeling the pressure to make a move, it seems likely that they fall for another panic trade.

Teams like the Toronto Raptors or the Boston Celtics could really use Ibaka this year. But the price he gets moved for is an important question.

The teams most interested in taking a chance on Ibaka would be those at the top of the standings. Those teams typically have limited assets to make a move. Boston would be an exception, although I find it unlikely that they trade much of their stockpile of assets for Ibaka.

Next: Mock Draft: Freshmen Not The Only Story

Teams that can make a huge splash typically are looking for stars. While Ibaka is a nice piece, the Magic shouldn’t expect to receive nearly what they gave up to get him.