Report:Magic trying hard to trade Ibaka

[Ilikesports17]

His decline makes me think the rumors of him being much older is true. He doesn't even look as athletic to me and he's supposedly only 27.

Funny, for some reason my first thought on Ibaka's age was that he was 31-32, and when there was some talk about JJ Reddick the other day, I thought he was 27-28.   How did Reddick get to be 32 so fast?

An unremarkable NBA career would do that to you

I think a 4 year college career had more to do with it.

[Celtics4ever]

Ibaka is a fantastic player still.

Like jpotter33 said, he's changed into to the quintessential player in todays NBA. 3 and D big men.

I would take a flier on him, to see what we can become with him on our team, and if not just let him go.

I'm not giving up that much of value though. He's a rental. There's no room for them to try to play smoke screens/cat and mouse, when their clearly unsure of Ibaka's thoughts on resigning.

I think he would best fit our system more so than the big slow dinosaurs from DEN or ORL.

[hodgy03038]

It's a no-brainer if we can add him cheap. Amir-Young and a 2nd

[SHAQATTACK]

His decline makes me think the rumors of him being much older is true. He doesn't even look as athletic to me and he's supposedly only 27.

Bingo !  We have a winner !

[KG Living Legend]

 The Thunder chose Ibaka over Harden.

 How does that look now? Bahaha!

[Stig]

I started a thread about him last year but now I'm not so interested, I thought his decline was due to the rise of Steve Adams and hm being unhappy in OKC, but now it looks he really is declining.

Also, is he going to demand max contract this summer? if so we are basically talking about renting him for half a season right?

The report said Magic want to get back picks and young prospects, so basically they are admitting the deal they did last summer with OKC was terrible and now they are trying to revert it.

[liam]

I bet they are he looks like a vet minimum player to me now.

[tarheelsxxiii]

His decline makes me think the rumors of him being much older is true. He doesn't even look as athletic to me and he's supposedly only 27.

Funny, for some reason my first thought on Ibaka's age was that he was 31-32, and when there was some talk about JJ Reddick the other day, I thought he was 27-28.   How did Reddick get to be 32 so fast?

An unremarkable NBA career would do that to you

No shame in mediocrity; there is shame in being a Dukie, though.

[The Oracle]

The Serge of old is a great fit, but that player is gone. His next contract is going to be awful, so if we land him, I sincerely hope it's as a rental for cheap; that seems unlikely.

I wonder how much of that is going from a team  with Westbrook AND Durant to a team where he's the main "star" with no real good fit on the roster, though. Playing between Gordon/Green and Biyombo/Vucevic isn't really ideal for him at all.

I think he'd be significantly better in Boston between Al and Crowder than in Orlando, though I agree I'm not keen on a huge contract for him this summer, similar to how I am with Milsap.

That being said, he is the ideal type of fit that we're looking for at the 4 next to Al, and I'd be willing to see how he looks here, as long as it didn't cost significant assets, which it shouldn't.

He was the ideal fit next to Al. Serge, however, by both the eye test and his statistical profile, is sharply on the decline. He has career lows in BLK% and FTr and his 2nd-lowest TRB%. These are several of the main indicators of waning athleticism, which lends credence to the idea that he's older than his listed age (making his impending contract that much more terrifying). His TRB% is lower than Amir's, BLK% the same as Horford's, and FTr lower than Amir, Horford, and Olynyk. He's a really solid stretch big, but the DPOY-level defense is long gone...and not coming back.

This simply is not true.  The game has expanded outward taking Ibaka away from the hoop much more on both ends of the floor.  Most if not all of his statistical decline can be explained away because of the way he is being used. 

[bogg]

It's a no-brainer if we can add him cheap. Amir-Young and a 2nd

Zero chance Ibaka can be had for that. Orlando swung a fairly major deal for him at the draft this past summer and they're going to need something to show for him. Based on reports, you're talking like Jaylen and the Memphis picks plus filler salary (likely Zeller).

I mean, in a vacuum I wouldn't mind adding Ibaka, but given that he's going to cost much more than Carmelo would in trade, is a free agent this coming summer and thus a threat to walk, and his next contract is going to pay him similar money to what Carmelo makes now but for twice as long, I probably pass at the end of the day.

[IDreamCeltics]

I started a thread about him last year but now I'm not so interested, I thought his decline was due to the rise of Steve Adams and hm being unhappy in OKC, but now it looks he really is declining.

Also, is he going to demand max contract this summer? if so we are basically talking about renting him for half a season right?

The report said Magic want to get back picks and young prospects, so basically they are admitting the deal they did last summer with OKC was terrible and now they are trying to revert it.

Didn't they just trade away 2 young prospects that were lottery picks for him? I'm not buying that this trade is on the table.

[bogg]

I started a thread about him last year but now I'm not so interested, I thought his decline was due to the rise of Steve Adams and hm being unhappy in OKC, but now it looks he really is declining.

Also, is he going to demand max contract this summer? if so we are basically talking about renting him for half a season right?

The report said Magic want to get back picks and young prospects, so basically they are admitting the deal they did last summer with OKC was terrible and now they are trying to revert it.

Didn't they just trade away 2 young prospects that were lottery picks for him? I'm not buying that this trade is on the table.

They did trade Oladipo (who they drafted second overall) and a lottery pick for him, which is the problem - when reports say that Orlando's made him available to recoup some of their loss, they mean they want a good young player or a solid draft pick, not expirings and seconds. I'm not really interested in giving the Magic solid return for the right to pay Ibaka $20+ million annually. If anything, he's a possibility over the summer when he'd cost nothing but cap space.

[BE-Celtic]

Where's the risk if we can let him go in summer ?

[bogg]

Where's the risk if we can let him go in summer ?

He's going to cost actual assets, so if he walks in the summer you just set a couple of first-rounders or Jaylen Brown's rookie contract on fire for a three-month rental.

[chilidawg]

 The Thunder chose Ibaka over Harden.

 How does that look now? Bahaha!

They did get Oladipo and Sabonis for him though.  That trade is looking pretty good.