Magic need Ibaka at power forward
As the season reaches the turn, we can debate whether the Magic or the Oklahoma City Thunder are winning the draft-day trade that had
and changing addresses.
The main point is this: The Thunder locked up Oladipo to a long-term contract — and the Magic need to do the same with Ibaka, if possible.
Their contractual situations are different.
The Thunder kept Oladipo, 24, from getting to restricted free agency by signing him to a four-year, $84 million extension — the first big deal of his career.
Ibaka, 27, can listen to offers as a free agent this summer.
Unless the Magic can deal Ibaka next month in a package that returns a star, the club should pay (overpay?) the power forward to keep him around.
The season has been disappointing, but Ibaka probably has been their best player on the both ends of the floor. The best compliment I can give him is that he has been fairly reliable on a maddeningly inconsistent team.
As advertised, Ibaka has given the Magic a shotblocking presence, although the team hasn’t been able to establish defense as its identity. He has made strides trying to expand his game offensively.
Ibaka was the third wheel in OKC when the Thunder rolled out and He has become a top option in Orlando.
Ibaka is on track to attempt more shots, especially from 3-point range, than he ever has in his eight-year career. He came into Friday shooting 38 percent from long distance while averaging 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
The Ibaka-Oladipo swap probably has been a push. Oladipo has just about matched his Orlando numbers for the Thunder: 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
He once had visions of becoming the face of the franchise in Orlando. But Oladipo is under none of those illusions in OKC, where he is a complementary player next to Westbrook, a triple-double machine.
If there is a tiebreaker in COMMENTARY the Ibaka-Oladipo deal, it is this: Victor has helped put the Thunder in playoff position.
Ibaka likely will never become an All-Star. But the perennially rebuilding Magic must begin digging some foundational postholes, and losing him only would create a void (and another search) at power forward.
Plus, the Magic had to have re-signing Ibaka in mind after sending out Oladipo, the club’s former No. 2 pick.
Now the question is whether Ibaka wants to stick with the struggling Magic. He has said during the season that he wants to stay, but that’s the tune most players sing. The club likely will try to pick up on any vibes before the Feb. 23 trade deadline.
Ibaka finally has a large role. The Magic, under the NBA salary structure, also can pay him more than any other suitor.
Most importantly, Ibaka would fill the power-forward spot for maybe the next four years, offering the Magic a Serge protector. ESPN reports that the Magic have expressed interest in acquiring Miami Heat PG
If true, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise. The Magic have needed to upgrade their production and shooting at the position currently manned by
As of Friday, Dragic — averaging 19.0 points per game — is shooting 45 percent and 40 percent from 3-point range. … Letting Bygones Be Bygones II: Two years after inducting
into the team’s hall of fame, the Magic will honor his sidekick from the post-expansion glory days, He will become the fifth member of the hall of fame during a ceremony on Friday when the Magic face Milwaukee at Amway Center. As in the case of O’Neal, Hardaway’s brilliant Orlando career ended in a bitter break-up, but the franchise dismissed any past grudges to honor its history. No word on whether will also get to say a few words. ... Hardaway joins Magic owner cofounder and former SG in the hall. I say the club’s inductee next season should be Hewitt is the local businessman who, in the mid-80s, had the harebrained idea that the NBA could work in Orlando and recruited Williams to join the venture.