Orlando Magic Made A Miscalculation Adding Serge Ibaka

The Serge Ibaka experiment hasn’t worked as well as the Orlando Magic hoped. With yet another seemingly lost season, they face a tough decision.

With the additions of both Frank Vogel and Serge Ibaka, the Orlando Magic felt as though they had the pieces to take the next step.

In the draft night trade, the Magic moved who was once considered a franchise cornerstone in Victor Oladipo, along with Ersan Ilyasova and the rights to Domantas Sabonis. But despite a strong season from Ibaka, the Magic are once again one of the East’s worst teams.

With free agency for Ibaka looming, the team faces tough decisions.

The appeal of adding a player like Ibaka isn’t hard to figure out. In a league that is consistently looking for improved spacing, adding a stretch power forward that can protect the rim and switch onto wing players is an ideal scenario. Ibaka provides a skill set that is rare and incredibly valuable.

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While he hasn’t blossomed into a lead scoring option, his stats this season remain impressive. He is averaging 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. His efficiency has also been excellent, averaging 47.1 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from deep.

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Despite the career year from their big acquisition, the Magic have struggled. They’re 6-11, but have the third worst-point differential in the Eastern Conference. They are also dead last in offensive efficiency and on a four-game losing streak.

So while things haven’t gone well for Orlando, they’re likely worse than their record.

The team is very likely short of their goal of being a playoff team and it’s probably fair to question the ceiling of the current roster. As currently constructed, they seem like an island of misfit toys.

After trading for Ibaka, the team handed out a four-year deal worth $72 million to Bismack Biyombo. Biyombo has been a disappointment this season, averaging 5.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game on 46 percent shooting.

With Nikola Vucevic, Ibaka and Biyombo all logging considerable minutes, it’s pushed one of the team’s most promising prospects in Aaron Gordon out of position to the small forward position. Adding to that logjam, the Magic also added Jeff Green this summer.

Green, like Gordon, is probably best served as a small ball 4. Most importantly, he’s yet another player taking minutes away from Gordon at both forward positions.

One of the few bright spots for Orlando has been the play of Evan Fournier. The guard is averaging a career-best 17.6 points per game and has been one of their most reliable options offensively.

But if you’re stifling the development of Gordon, Elfrid Peyton looks far from a franchise point guard and your only other up-and-coming prospect is Mario Hezonja … you have to wonder, why did the team give up so much for Serge Ibaka?

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The team needs a lot more work. and more future assets, before they can begin to resemble a future contender. Ibaka will turn 28 next summer and will likely command a max deal.

The Magic need to decide if they want to commit even more money to the roster they have now, if they want to try and trade for pieces to make a run this season or if they should cut their losses and move Ibaka at the deadline.

Unless Frank Vogel manages to turn things around, cutting their losses might be the best route to go. Ibaka can be a game changer defensively and has a respectable offensive game. He would be a tremendous asset to a team looking to get over the hump in exchange for future assets.

He isn’t a core piece or a No. 1 option, which the Magic desperately need. While they aren’t going to get a future star for Ibaka, he can help stock the cupboard full of young talent. The move would also open up more minutes for Aaron Gordon.

The team made a miscalculation of where they were at in their development and tried to go all in. That doesn’t mean that they have to ride out their error and double down. Maybe they would have been better off with Oladipo, Sabonis and Ilyasova.

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But just because they gave up so much doesn’t mean that the front office should ride this mistake until the bitter end. It’s a tough decision, but they are likely better off moving on from Ibaka at the deadline.