Thunder send Ibaka to Magic for Oladipo

Prior to last night’s trade, the team had the ability to create as much as $52 million in cap space depending on how they handled a few contracts.

What happens from here is anyone’s guess, but it should make for one interesting summer for the Magic and their fans.

The Magic had acquired Serge Ibaka from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the draft rights to that 11th pick, Damantas Sabonis.

Ibaka officially joined the Thunder in 2009 and despite being a rookie in the professional league, he was selected as a starter for the team.

For a team that won 55 games and finished one win shy of the NBA Finals, it was a stunningly significant shakeup. This trade could also mean they are preparing for life without either Durant or Westbrook when the time comes.

Oladipo isn’t a good shooter, but he’s an upgrade over what the Thunder have had previously. Perhaps the bigger move for Oklahoma City is that they feel draft pick Domantas Sabonis is a ready replacement for Ibaka and someone to pair next to Steven Adams and Enes Kanter.

Sabonis (6-11, 240), was selected with the 11th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga. In his three-year career in Orlando, Oladipo averaged 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Let’s start with how the trade affects the Thunder roster. I’m so excited to be a Thunder!!!

The addition of Ersan Ilyasova presents some options for the Thunder. He will be a restricted free agent after next season and will cost the Thunder $6.8 million next season.

Franchise officials have said repeatedly they want to add veteran difference-makers, and Hennigan said the team would be active in trade talks before the draft.

In all likelihood, the team was not going to retain both Oladipo and Fournier long term given the similarities each player has.

Beal, who turns 23 on Tuesday, dealt with a leg injury last season and said on his Twitter account that improving his physical condition for the 2016-17 National Basketball Association season is the top priority.

Unfortunately, that’s been his career peak and he’s been a liability on the defensive end.

It’s hard to gauge how this affects Durant, but the Thunder made this decision independently, probably confident KD will stay no matter what. The Vertical first reported the trade. Ibaka spent seven years with the Thunder, who drafted him with the 24th pick in 2009.

One factor that should be considered here is that the Orlando Magic is also a possible suitor for Durant. They are getting some potential talent in exchange for Ibaka, but that is not all. Aaron Gordon is turning into a nice piece for the Magic as well and will will continue to grow behind Vucevic and Ibaka. Ibaka’s shot-blocking covered some of Westbrook’s defensive mistakes, and both stars benefitted from Ibaka’s 3-point shooting pulling a defender from a paint. Moreover, he could play under a coach who successfully recruited him once before and that recruitment led to back-to-back NCAA titles.

Why only a B- grade? Lineups with him at power forward wrecked during the regular season.

Durant has played with the Oklahoma City Thunder for his whole career and he has produced in this system.

The trade was something that had to happen eventually in order to make this happen, and they found a player who would seem to mesh well with what is already in place.