Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Victor Oladipo’s extension does not change stakes of Serge Ibaka trade

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Oct 30, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) drives to the basket in front of Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) drives to the basket in front of Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Victor Oladipo, Oklahoma City Thunder, D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
Oct 30, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) drives to the basket in front of Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) during the third quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Victor Oladipo signed a team-friendly extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder. That reality does not change the stakes for the Magic and Serge Ibaka.

The Orlando Magic are not going to escape the comparisons between the principle actors of their biggest deal this summer. At least not for this season.

Rob Hennigan made the first big lateral move of his tenure as general manager in trading Victor Oladipo, the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis and Ersan Ilyasova (and his non-guaranteed contract) for Serge Ibaka. This was the first time Hennigan was not trading a veteran for a promising young asset or more cap flexibility.

This was Hennigan cashing in a young, promising asset for a veteran for the first time.

And with the pressure mounting this season to make the Playoffs, the results of the Ibaka-Oladipo trade may very well determine Hennigan’s future, not to mention the team’s future.

A new element then was added to this analysis and this equation Monday. Just before the deadline for extensions off rookie contracts, Oladipo inked an $84-million, four-year extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder. His salary breakdown will go like this, according to Danny Leroux of RealGM and The Sporting News:

That seems like a pretty reasonable and team-friendly deal for Oladipo. Certainly one to make the Magic rethink what he could have gotten on the market. Perhaps it would have changed some of the Magic’s calculus in deciding to deal Oladipo or not.

There are a couple ways to look at this deal now through this lens.

First, there is the straight comparison of what Oladipo and Ibaka provide to their teams. Who is the better player and who gives the team more of what it needs?

Second, there is the financial comparison. Is Oladipo at this price a better value than Ibaka at the price he will fetch this summer?

And third, there is the question of maximizing assets. Did the Magic get the most for what they gave up?