Orlando Magic leaning toward familiar faces this offseason

There have been lots of questions around the Orlando Magic’s free agent moves. Looking back, there is a common thread for who they have pursued.

Before the free agent frenzy, Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan pulled off a bold trade moving fan favorite Victor Oladipo to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Serge Ibaka.

The trade came as somewhat of a surprise considering Oladipo was widely viewed as a cornerstone for this developing Magic team. Soon after the report came out, reactions around the league and from fans reflected that surprise with criticism of what direction the Magic were going.

The truth of the matter is, Orlando filled a gaping hole, and it might not have been as hard to pull the trigger as many think.

During his tenure in Oklahoma City, Hennigan spent time scouting and developing relationships with many players. Among those players was Serge Ibaka.

Hennigan was part of the staff that did extensive research on Ibaka and felt he was worth taking with the 24th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft. For the Magic, Ibaka was not only a perfect fit as far as scheme is concerned, but Hennigan is familiar with his on and off the court capabilities, as he mentioned during Ibaka’s introduction to the team.

While Victor Oladipo is a great player to have on any team, giving him up is much easier when a team knows exactly what it will get in return.

The same sort of reasoning can be used for the acquisition of D.J. Augustin and Jeff Green through free agency.

Like Ibaka, Green was a player on that Oklahoma City team while Rob Hennigan was the assistant general manager.

D.J. Augustin also has ties to Oklahoma City after playing there last season before getting traded to the Denver Nuggets just before the deadline. However his familiarity comes from a year playing under Magic head coach Frank Vogel with the Indiana Pacers.

Augustin was the first free agent the Magic signed and obviously felt comfortable enough to sign early. That might have something to do with his relationship with coach Vogel.

During his time with Vogel in Indiana, Augustin was the backup point guard playing about 16 minutes per game. Most likely, he will assume the same type of role behind Elfrid Payton.

For free agents, the front office is just as important as the players on the court with them. Being comfortable and confident in the front office plays a big role in whether a team lands its targets. While Serge Ibaka came to Orlando via trade, he made reference to his relationship with Rob Hennigan during his introduction:

"“I’m very happy, excited to be here and that’s what matters,” Ibaka said. “And I’ve known Rob, the GM here, since day one here in the league. He knows me very well too. He’s a nice guy and I am excited for me and my family and my daughter.”"

Ibaka said meeting Hennigan upon his arrival in Orlando was like seeing an old friend more than meeting his new boss and general manager.

Ibaka will be a free agent after this season. Having a good relationship with the front office can only be a plus moving forward if the Magic want to re-sign him.

While Orlando’s offseason moves are not completely based on previous experiences with players, it has to ease the staff’s mind to know before hand what type of person they are bringing into the locker room. A team like the Magic, who are looking to build a certain culture, cannot risk bringing in a great player on the court, that could potentially be a cancer to the young core.

The Magic have not only filled some holes on the court, but have added solid veterans and citizens to the organization. During Rob Hennigan’s time with the Magic, all of his transactions have brought in guys that were a fit for the culture he is creating.

Last offseason, Orlando went hard after Paul Milsap, who has a reputation around the league as a great teammate. This year, Al Horford was assumed to be the Magic’s main target until Ibaka became available. The option to trade for a familiar player, at a lower price tag, that might be an even better fit, might have made Orlando a little more flexible.

Next: Bismack Biyombo to sign with Orlando Magic

That familiarity made the Magic more comfortable committing to these massive franchise-shifting moves. And more comfortable with their relationships moving forward into this critical season.