The Orlando Magic are currently 12th in the eastern conference and are yet again facing a familiar scenario as their season plays out. The scenario is essentially a basketball purgatory, the Magic aren’t quite good enough to make the playoffs but not bad enough to get a high lottery pick in the draft. After hiring new head coach Frank Vogel and a slew of offseason acquisitions, the Magic are not where they envisioned themselves to be at this point in the season.
Because of this, the Magic could be looking more towards their future and hopes to build on their younger pieces. Subsequently, veteran big man Serge Ibaka, who the Magic acquired via trade in the offseason, will be a free agent this summer and could potentially be on the move.
Following from Sean Deveney of Sportingnews.
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.
As for who might be in the running for Ibaka’s services, look no further than an eastern conference contender.
In the East, both the Celtics and Raptors need some frontcourt defensive depth, and Toronto has been consistently interested in having Ibaka fill its power forward void. The Raptors are not much interested in giving up fifth-year swingman Terrence Ross (who is having his best NBA season) for Ibaka, though, a source said.
At 27 years old, Ibaka can come in and fill the void of a stretch and great defensive big a contending team will need come playoff time. The only thing we will have to wait and see is, will the Orlando Magic bring their asking price down? We’ll see once the trade deadline comes around.
