The Houston Rockets expressed some interest in Serge Ibaka, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, but it appears their focus has moved elsewhere.
The Houston Rockets have expressed some interest in Serge Ibaka, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com reports. But it seems more likely the Rockets will stand pat or do smaller tweaks than anything big.
"There is also some interest in Orlando power forward Serge Ibaka, who is apparently is on the trade block. Ibaka scored 28 points in 40 minutes in the Magic’s loss at Houston on Tuesday night. Ibaka would bring a defensive presence and another shooter that could fit into Mike D’Antoni‘s offense. In late December when the Rockets lost starting center Clint Capela to a fractured fibula, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported Houston entertained acquiring Sacramento center Kosta Koufos.“I think if we do anything, it will be for depth,” Morey told ESPN. “I don’t see any big things happening. We got a good thing, a good rotation, good chemistry. I’m pretty reluctant to make any changes there.”"
The Rockets have had great success this season, while the Orlando Magic have struggled. A lot of observers questioned the Rockets’ hiring of offensive mastermind Mike D’Antoni as their head coach. But he has done a terrific job thus far.
The Rockets record stands at an impressive 38-17, their latest win coming against the Magic on Tuesday. Serge Ibaka certainly may have impressed the Rockets that game as he scored 28 points.
It is unclear how real this interest is. Watkins’ reporting seemed to suggest the interest arose while Clint Capela was out with a broken fibula in December. Ibaka certainly would fit off the bench, adding some much-needed defensive consistency while still being able to shoot.
But Watkins also quotes James Harden directly saying he likes the group they have. It does not seem Houston is in store for anything big.
But Ibaka has played with Harden in the past. The two were teammates for three years early on in their careers with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This gives Mike D’Antoni another threat from the perimeter and improves the Rockets defense in the interior.
Serge Ibaka is having an impressive year. He is averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game and shooting 48.7 percent from the field, as well as shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. He may not be a defensive threat he once was, but he is averaging an adequate 1.6 blocks per game.
It is unclear what the Rockets can offer, as they do not seem to have many expendable assets the Magic would like.
Some names that come to mind are Corey Brewer, Montrezl Harrell and K.J. McDaniels. But a lot of this is up in the air right now. The Magic possibly could also obtain a first round pick, although that would likely come in the 20s of the first round.
There is no secret that the Magic are trying to trade Ibaka. The Magic took a risk in the offseason that did not pay off. And the best possible move the Magic can make is to recoup some assets for Ibaka, whose contract concludes after this season.
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It will be very interesting to see what happens with Ibaka, as the trade deadline is looming on February 23.