Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic Agree to a Serge Ibaka Trade

This trade puts them in a position to be the favorites heading into the playoff and if Ibaka can be that ripple effect needed on the defensive end of the floor then the Raptors just became the most risky team in the National Basketball Association.

The Raptors sit four games behind the Celtics for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and are now fifth in the Eastern Conference. The trade will net the Magic small forward Terrence Ross, as well as a 2017 first-round pick. Toronto was said to be the ideal landing spot for Ibaka, so the Raptors appear to have the edge in re-signing him to a long-term deal. It is not that the price is obscenely higher – Ross is already replaceable on the roster, and the draft pick will fall somewhere in the 20s – but it is a sign that Ujiri thinks the primes of Lowry and DeRozan are worth betting on. Magic GM Rob Hennigan acquired Ibaka in a draft day deal in exchange for the huge cost of Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova (who the Thunder traded to the 76ers for Jerami Grant), and the 11th pick (Domantas Sabonis). The pick will nearly definitely be coming via the Clippers, which would now position it as 25th overall in the 2017 Draft. With Ibaka, Toronto finally has a balanced answer. And according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat are quite interested in acquiring the 6-foot-10 power forward. The Raptors have used rookie Pascal Siakam, Bebe Nogueira, and Patrick Patterson at the position to mixed results.

Ibaka, 27, is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He led the National Basketball Association in blocks in 2011-12 and 2012-13, blocking at least 3.0 shots per game each season, but that’s dropped to 2.7 per night in 2013-14, 2.4 in 2014-15, 1.9 in 2015-16 and then finally down to 1.6 in 2016-17. The Celtics are not interested in surrendering assets of value, including first-round picks and prospects like Rozier, for short-term acquisitions that do not clearly put them over the top for title contention, per sources. His 1.4 nERD is now tied for 87th in the National Basketball Association.

It’s unclear whether this trade pans out for Orlando.

Giving up on Ibaka also helps clear a frontcourt logjam with Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic.

Orlando would be smart to continue trying to accumulate whichever assets it can between now and next week’s trade deadline.