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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 /
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Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder, Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic
Jan 18, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) shoots over Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Maximizing the asset

Here, it is hard to say whether the Magic could have gotten Oladipo on this deal. Orlando had a history of low-balling their restricted free agents. Only Nikola Vucevic bit on the extension offer. But with both Tobias Harris and Evan Fournier, Hennigan negotiated team-friendly deals.

So that leaves the final question for the Magic and Hennigan when they ultimately can look back at this deal. Did the Magic maximize their asset in trading for Oladipo or could they have waited?

That is the part no one may ever know outside of the Magic’s front office. There is no telling what the Magic could have gotten for Oladipo at any point. There were rumors at one point about Jeff Teague. Other reports threw Jimmy Butler‘s name around.

The Magic though got and took the call from the Thunder for Ibaka. It filled a need for the team. A desperate need for the team in terms of rim protection. The move made sense from a roster standpoint (at least at the time).

With the Magic needing to win now, perhaps that need overtook waiting for the right deal or trying to leverage Oladipo into more. Perhaps Ibaka was all they could get. There was no reason then to believe Ibaka would not provide the same kind of defense and rim protection.

There is still no reason not to believe Ibaka can deliver. It is just three games after all.