Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: It is trading season
By Philip Rossman-Reich (@omagicdaily)
The obvious trade chip that has to get moved at this point is Serge Ibaka.
The Magic are falling further out of the Playoff race and it looks less and less likely the team will be able to retain Serge Ibaka. Or, at least, that is the assumption. Without much of a history with him and a team that is not accomplishing even the basic goal of making the Playoffs, it is tough to see the team re-signing him. It is tough to see the team taking the risk of letting him hit the free market without getting something back for him.
The Ibaka trade is not necessarily a failure because the Magic eventually had to trade him. Ibaka has been the Magic’s best player this year and has stepped up his offensive game while providing at least a similar level of defense to last year. That will be a debate for another day.
For now, the question is where could the Magic go with a deal. What teams would be interested?
Certainly, there will be plenty of contenders who could be sniffing for an experienced, versatile defender like Ibaka. I have two teams specifically in mind — the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers. Both seem like they would be willing to take the risk to acquire Ibaka and need him to accomplish their postseason goals.
So with Toronto, I would do a deal like this:
The Raptors reportedly had a lot of interest in Ibaka at the draft last year before the Magic swooped in to sign him. They certainly could use some power forward help and some defensive help to deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. What they know is not likely enough. They need a splashy move.
With Norman Powell waiting in the wings and Terrence Ross relatively inconsistent, he is the perfect candidate to be traded. And Ross could very well be a player the Magic are interested in themselves — young players who are somewhat hampered by their role and needing an opportunity are the kind of players the Magic should target.
Ross is not the ideal 3 to pair with Gordon at the 4. Ross would not be able to shift down to defend bigger 4s, but he is capable of putting up points in a hurry. His youth and potential — even on his second contract — are tantalizing and could help the Magic reset their rebuild a bit. Patterson provides a big body and a veteran the Magic have targeted in the past and could re-sign this summer to provide shooting at the 4, whatever direction the Magic go.
Jodie Meeks would have been nice to have in this trade. Maybe the Magic replace Watson (essentially an expiring deal at this point) with Meeks if Meeks progresses from his recovery from thumb surgery well. And maybe the Magic have to add more to get the deal done (a second or maybe even Mario Hezonja). But it is worth pursuing.
The other deal I am thinking is with Portland.
The Trail Blazers have a Playoff-caliber roster, but have greatly disappointed. Their lack of depth in the frontcourt has hurt them as has their lack of defense and rim protection. Ibaka would be perfect for filling both. And with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as a core, they should be able to compete in the West for several years after adding him.
The Blazers clear some cap in acquiring both Serge Ibaka and Jeff Green. They could easily re-sign Ibaka and let Green walk and fill his spot with a free agent. That should be an attractive situation for them and their future.
Portland will likely push to trade Evan Turner instead. The Magic should flatly say no.
But Portland can get out of a big contract by trading away Allen Crabbe. This would be something of a risk for Orlando considering Crabbe just signed a four-year deal with Portland. But his shooting and potential to grow, make it worth the risk. Orlando stays young and retains assets they can move around moving forward.
The kicker to this deal is what the Magic can get in addition. Orlando will not be able to do Crabbe for Ibaka straight up. Orlando would be smart to push for Al-Farouq Aminu.
Aminu is a solid defender who can play both forward spots. That would make him an ideal pairing for Aaron Gordon. The lack of shooting might remain an issue overall for the Magic — Nikola Vucevic probably still has to start — but now the Magic have another player who can put up points in a hurry and spread the floor and another strong perimeter defender.
These two deals are probably not this simple. But I suspect these are the kind of players the Magic should target.
Next: Orlando Magic should embrace small ball
What do you think? What deals would you make for the Orlando Magic? Let us know in the comment section below or hit us up on Twitter @omagicdaily.