Serge Ibaka Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Magic PF
Serge Ibaka trade rumors are picking up steam as the Orlando Magic fall further away from the playoff picture, but which teams should trade for him?
Three months into the 2016-17 NBA season and the Orlando Magic are exactly where most figured they’d be: Miles away from the playoffs, with Serge Ibaka trade rumors taking center stage.
Okay, so maybe “miles away” isn’t entirely accurate since the bottom of the Eastern Conference is down this year, leaving Orlando only 4.5 games out of a playoff spot.
But the Magic are a dreadful 19-32, giving them the second-worst record in the East, the second-worst point differential in the East and, more importantly, virtually zero shot at re-signing Ibaka when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer.
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Magic have already begun shopping Ibaka to try and get some value out of him before losing him for nothing in free agency. This makes sense, especially for a franchise that gave up Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and 2017 draft selection Domantas Sabonis to go all in on Ibaka and the accompanying playoff delusions.
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Ibaka is still only 27, and though he’s only averaging 15.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, he’s an effective rim protector, can help a team on the boards, and will spread the floor as a stretch-4, shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from three-point range.
It’s hard to say what the Magic will do from here, especially since we’ve already seen Elfrid Payton and Nikola Vucevic pop up in trade rumors. Are the Magic ready to change course and try to rebuild through the draft again? Or is general manager Rob Hennigan still fighting for his job and desperate to return to the postseason?
Either way, the main questions for an Ibaka trade revolve around which teams would A) Desire Ibaka’s skill set, B) Have enough to entice the Magic into a deal that either helps them rebuild or remain competitive for another doomed playoff push and C) Be confident in their ability to re-sign him and make sure he’s not just a two-month rental?
Here’s a look at five teams (and some honorable mentions) that could swing a deal for Serge Ibaka, what those trades might look like for both sides, and what might get in the way of each one.