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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: It is trading season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:32 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Philip Rossman-Reich/FanSided via Orlando Magic Daily

Jan 24, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Serge Ibaka (7) points after he makes a three pointer during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Orlando Magic are prepared to make a move this trade deadline to improve their roster. The Orlando Magic Daily staff got together to propose their deals.

The Orlando Magic have gone out West and come home. They have struggled in those home games to gain much traction. The Philadelphia 76ers, of all teams, are breathing down their neck now, if not outright passing the Magic on percentage points.

Orlando is sinking fast in the Playoff race and there is a general anxiousness about what to do next.

The first step is the Feb. 23 trade deadline. Yes, the calendar has turned toward trade deadline month now. The pressure is ramping up.

Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan gave interviews to the Orlando Sentinel, OrlandoMagic.com, ESPN Orlando and 740 The Team to give fans a midseason update and insight into what comes next. In every interview he repeated the cliche — and he admitted it is a cliche — that the team will be active.

All the while, he admitted he and everyone within the organization are frustrated and confused with some of the Magic’s struggles throughout the season so far. The team will be exploring some external additions. and, as Hennigan said in his interview with Scott Anez of ESPN Orlando, he has no intention of mortgaging the team’s future just to sneak into the Playoffs in 2017 or resuscitate this specific season.

The Magic are going to have to explore at least some trade options to set the team up for the 2018 season and whatever it may look like. They have some players who could certainly net some assets.

Serge Ibaka still has value around the league and could be a good rental for a team fighting for the Playoffs or more. Nikola Vucevic is still a walking double double on a team-friendly contract. Jodie Meeks, Jeff Green and C.J. Watson are also on expiring deals for teams looking to shed salary.

There are assets to move. But what will the Magic do? What are they even looking for?

that is the part that is a little harder to figure out. Considering how much of a struggle this season has been for the Magic, nothing should be completely off the table. At least, for now.

Nobody knows what direction the Magic will go, but everyone anticipates the Magic will make a move. And likely a big one to set up the next few years for this franchise.

With a month before the trade deadline, Orlando Magic Daily is getting proactive. In this week’s roundtable, our staff members proposed the realistic deals they would like to see the Magic make ahead of this trade deadline.

A quick note (listen up, fake news sites): These are merely suggestions from our staff. We have no inside information that any of these are really being discussed or are actually pursued. Feel free to comment on the deals in the comment section below.

Nov 19, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Serge Ibaka (7) drives into and fouls Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. The Magic won 95-87. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

By David Iwanowski (@davidiwan1)

Orlando Magic send Jeff Green to the Golden State Warriors for a Google Glass. Too steep of an asking price for the Warriors? You’re right.

Orlando Magic send C.J. Watson and the rights to the next Tomorrowland attraction at Magic Kingdom to the Boston Celtics for the pick swap with the Brooklyn Nets. Can’t do that one?

Hmmm.

The situation for trades is extremely difficult for the Orlando Magic. They would ideally want to trade any combination of Serge Ibaka, Jeff Green and Nikola Vucevic. Bismack Biyombo, D.J. Augustin and C.J. Watson likely are not tradable at the moment. And they definitely do not want to trade Aaron Gordon.

The most likely player to be moved is Serge Ibaka. The Magic do not want to lose him without any return at the end of the season, and the team’s lack of success means it is pretty much a sure thing he would not return beyond this year.

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The hard part is finding a trade partner for Ibaka. The only teams that would take the chance on a veteran with an expiring contract are teams who feel they are one piece away from contending for a championship.

The teams in that range would be the Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and LA Clippers.

The Clippers likely have no assets to trade besides recent first round draft pick Brice Johnson, so it would not be possible to match the salaries to make a trade work. The Rockets have some interesting young assets in Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell, but again a deal would likely not work out salary wise. The Celtics do have an Amir Johnson expiring deal, a top-11 protected first round pick from the Memphis Grizzlies and a surplus of young guards. Would a deal involving Johnson, Terry Rozier and the Grizzlies pick entice either team?

The Raptors have been the most common name thrown out in terms of possible destinations, especially after they showed significant interest over the summer.

They have a solid trade chip in Terrence Ross, as well as a bunch of young bigs who do not see much playing time. A potential trade could be Terrence Ross, Jared Sullinger, who is on an expiring contract, and either Lucas Nogueira or Bruno Caboclo (who at this point in time is only a year away) for Ibaka.

Although Ibaka is having a good season, the limited market demand for him will push his price down to what Magic fans may feel is a disappointing return for a guy they so recently traded a lot for.

As much as I would like to be unique in my proposal here, I truly see Toronto as the most likely destination. They are in the peak level of success for their franchise right in the prime of their two best players, and they feel they could have a good shot at inking Ibaka to a long-term deal to stretch out their window.

A roster of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valunciunas, Patrick Patterson, DeMarre Carroll, Cory Joseph, Jakob Poeltl, Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam would be an elite team and could give the Cleveland Cavaliers serious problems in a potential playoff series.

That is why I am marking them as the most realistic trade scenario for the Magic.

Nov 23, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

By Zach Palmer (@FmrTankCommandr)

I have been thinking about this situation a lot recently. It has become clear the Magic just are not a good team and the current collection of guys do not fit together well. With that in mind, I think it is time for Orlando to perform somewhat of a soft reset to the roster.

My first trade that I came up with is actually very similar to David’s deal with the Raptors. However, in my iteration, the Magic send out Serge Ibaka, C.J. Wilcox and Jodie Meeks for Terrence Ross, Jakob Poeltl, Jared Sullinger and the worse of the Raptors first round picks this year.

So the question here is why would Orland do it?

First, they cannot really risk Serge Ibaka leaving for nothing this offseason. The Magic would have ended up trading Victor Oladipo and then some in return for a rental of Ibaka. Orlando absolutely cannot let that happen.

Second, the Magic really cannot afford to waste Aaron Gordon at the small forward spot anymore. It is clear as day when Gordon does not have his jumper falling on offense, he may as well be invisible. When he is at power forward, he has the athletic advantage and the jumper is his secondary weapon as opposed to his primary weapon.

Why do the Raptors do this? To take a shot at the title of course.

First off, I think Ibaka fits the Raptors perfectly and it also helps them match up with the conference favorites the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While the price is certainly hefty, the Raptors only end up losing one key rotation player in Terrence Ross, who is replaced by Jodie Meeks. Meeks is more than capable of filling the role that Ross is currently in once he is healthy again. Poeltl was a long-term player, and while it would hurt to see him go, Toronto’s window seems like it will not be open for long with Kyle Lowry aging. Sullinger has been a non-factor for the Raptors due to injury. He recently started playing with an injury to Patrick Patterson but he has been fairly bad for them.

The second trade I have in mind sends Nikola Vucevic and C.J. Watson to the Boston Celtics for Amir Johnson, Demetrius Jackson and the rights to Guerschon Yabusele.

Why would the Magic do this? First, it helps clear additional cap space for this offseason in case the Magic want to try their luck in free agency again. Second, the team adds two prospects in Jackson and Yabusele that can help the team reclaim some of the youth movement that was abandoned this offseason.

Why do the Celtics do it? The Celtics have one glaring weakness on their team. Rebounding. The Celtics plain and simply stink at rebounding.

With Vucevic they can start Al Horford at the 4 where his lack of rebounding is not a huge issue because Vucevic is crashing the glass as a 5. And while Vucevic could still hurt the Celtics defensively in the pick and roll, coach Brad Stevens can easily take him out and go small with Horford again.

The Celtics in this deal only lose one rotation player in Johnson who is less than an ideal fit next to Horford. Jackson likely is not going to see time behind Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier. Yabusele would be a nice addition to the Celtics but he is a wild card as there is no sure way to say he will be better than Vucevic.

The last trade the Magic need to make is a simple one. Trade Jeff Green to the Sacramento Kings for Anthony Tolliver and Ben McLemore.

The Kings desperately need a small forward with Rudy Gay out. McLemore is not a consistent rotation player for the Kings and Tolliver has not played a huge role for the team until Gay was injured. At this point, it ends up being teams just swapping expiring contracts trying to make things work.

Nov 9, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) and Orlando Magic center Bismack Biyombo (11) defend during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

By Muhammed Jumani (@mumujumani)

This has been a topic that fans usually love to talk about because talking about trades, at times, is pretty fun to do.

Why the Timberwolves do it: The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a disappointing season, to say the least. Their record as of right now, stands at an abysmal 17028, but with the eighth seed up for grabs in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves are only 2.5 games behind the eighth seed.

Yes, you read that right, they are only 2.5 games behind the eighth seed. The Timberwolves lack a true rim protector. Offense comes easy for them. The play fast, run the floor and play with tempo and have Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns who average a combined 44.3 points per game combined.

Tom Thibodeau has often noted Minnesota lacks a true veteran, and the addition of Ibaka and Meeks certainly helps that cause. The Timberwolves are 29th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game, only ahead of the Chicago Bulls. Both Meeks and Ibaka can also help the Timberwolves in that regard.

Ibaka is a very special player in this league. He is one of the very few big men in the NBA who can shoot the 3-point shot. He also has improved in the post, he has a lethal mid-range jumper and he can protect the rim at a very elite level. Ibaka has the rare ability to do all those and any team would love to have a player that can simply do it all.

He would fit very well with a tough defensive-minded coach in Tom Thibodeau.

Yes, you may be wondering, “Why would the Timberwolves trade to get a rental in Ibaka and Meeks for a proven guy like Zach LaVine?” That is because this move gives the Timberwolves more flexibility in the upcoming offseason. They are getting rid of the absurd contract of Nikola Pekovic (two-years, $23.7 million remaining). He has been very injury prone and has played only 43 games combined the last three NBA seasons. His injuries have a possibility of ending his career.

Also, Ibaka may be the missing piece that lifts the Timberwolves to the playoffs.

This move would give the Timberwolves about $15 million more in cap space. They currently have $28 Million in cap space for the upcoming offseason, this trade would give them around $43 Million total to spend in the 2017 offseason.

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Why the Magic do it: The Magic rank 25th in offense in the NBA by points per game. The Magic need a lot of help on offense.

With a proven scorer, such as Zach LaVine, he can take the Magic to another level. The Magic’s youth movement was abandoned a season ago, as they traded away a young Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo for veterans in hope of making the playoffs. LaVine, only 21 years old, partnering up with Aaron Gordon would be a very fun treat to watch.

The Magic will be getting a proven scorer in return for a proven veteran Ibaka. It is a long shot, but one worth taking if the opportunity arises.

This would also create more opportunities for Mario Hezonja. Aaron Gordon would move to the 4. And the minutes will open up for Mario Hezonja at both the 2 and the 3, assuming Evan Fournier starts at the small forward spot. Jeff Green would likely also get the remaining minutes at the 4 as he would backup Gordon.

The Magic’s playoff hopes are going down the drain. They can hope for a spark as a result of this trade and pick up some wins to push them to that eighth seed, or they can go the tanking route for the remainder of this season and get a decent pick in the draft and start fresh next season.

Both scenarios sound like a good long-term and short-term solution for the mess the Magic have traded.

The Magic would have to take a salary cap hit as they would indulge a very horrible contract of Pekovic. But, with a player like LaVine on their roster, it very well may be worth the hit. This would also help the Magic in marketing, as they would undoubtedly sell more tickets and capture the belief of the fans once again.

The Magic can also make up for the head-scratching trade they made this offseason when they sent Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and the 11th pick in exchange for Serge Ibaka. A player like LaVine has the potential to develop into an All Star at some point during his career, and that is exactly what the Magic have been trying to get in their rebuild the last five seasons.

January 4, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Allen Crabbe (23) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia (27) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

By Philip Rossman-Reich (@omagicdaily)

The obvious trade chip that has to get moved at this point is Serge Ibaka.

The Magic are falling further out of the Playoff race and it looks less and less likely the team will be able to retain Serge Ibaka. Or, at least, that is the assumption. Without much of a history with him and a team that is not accomplishing even the basic goal of making the Playoffs, it is tough to see the team re-signing him. It is tough to see the team taking the risk of letting him hit the free market without getting something back for him.

The Ibaka trade is not necessarily a failure because the Magic eventually had to trade him. Ibaka has been the Magic’s best player this year and has stepped up his offensive game while providing at least a similar level of defense to last year. That will be a debate for another day.

For now, the question is where could the Magic go with a deal. What teams would be interested?

Certainly, there will be plenty of contenders who could be sniffing for an experienced, versatile defender like Ibaka. I have two teams specifically in mind — the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers. Both seem like they would be willing to take the risk to acquire Ibaka and need him to accomplish their postseason goals.

So with Toronto, I would do a deal like this:

The Raptors reportedly had a lot of interest in Ibaka at the draft last year before the Magic swooped in to sign him. They certainly could use some power forward help and some defensive help to deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. What they know is not likely enough. They need a splashy move.

With Norman Powell waiting in the wings and Terrence Ross relatively inconsistent, he is the perfect candidate to be traded. And Ross could very well be a player the Magic are interested in themselves — young players who are somewhat hampered by their role and needing an opportunity are the kind of players the Magic should target.

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Ross is not the ideal 3 to pair with Gordon at the 4. Ross would not be able to shift down to defend bigger 4s, but he is capable of putting up points in a hurry. His youth and potential — even on his second contract — are tantalizing and could help the Magic reset their rebuild a bit. Patterson provides a big body and a veteran the Magic have targeted in the past and could re-sign this summer to provide shooting at the 4, whatever direction the Magic go.

Jodie Meeks would have been nice to have in this trade. Maybe the Magic replace Watson (essentially an expiring deal at this point) with Meeks if Meeks progresses from his recovery from thumb surgery well. And maybe the Magic have to add more to get the deal done (a second or maybe even Mario Hezonja). But it is worth pursuing.

The other deal I am thinking is with Portland.

The Trail Blazers have a Playoff-caliber roster, but have greatly disappointed. Their lack of depth in the frontcourt has hurt them as has their lack of defense and rim protection. Ibaka would be perfect for filling both. And with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum as a core, they should be able to compete in the West for several years after adding him.

The Blazers clear some cap in acquiring both Serge Ibaka and Jeff Green. They could easily re-sign Ibaka and let Green walk and fill his spot with a free agent. That should be an attractive situation for them and their future.

Portland will likely push to trade Evan Turner instead. The Magic should flatly say no.

But Portland can get out of a big contract by trading away Allen Crabbe. This would be something of a risk for Orlando considering Crabbe just signed a four-year deal with Portland. But his shooting and potential to grow, make it worth the risk. Orlando stays young and retains assets they can move around moving forward.

The kicker to this deal is what the Magic can get in addition. Orlando will not be able to do Crabbe for Ibaka straight up. Orlando would be smart to push for Al-Farouq Aminu.

Aminu is a solid defender who can play both forward spots. That would make him an ideal pairing for Aaron Gordon. The lack of shooting might remain an issue overall for the Magic — Nikola Vucevic probably still has to start — but now the Magic have another player who can put up points in a hurry and spread the floor and another strong perimeter defender.

These two deals are probably not this simple. But I suspect these are the kind of players the Magic should target.

What do you think? What deals would you make for the Orlando Magic? Let us know in the comment section below or hit us up on Twitter @omagicdaily.

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