Orlando Magic fans are already grumbling about Tuesday’s trade with Toronto, which nets them Terrence Ross and a first-round pick in 2017 (from the LA Clippers) in return for Serge Ibaka.
Ibaka, if you recall, was acquired by Orlando on draft day in June in a deal that sent former No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo along with the No. 11 pick in 2016 (Domantas Sabonis) and Ersan Ilyasova to Oklahoma City.Editor’s Picks
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Before we get into what this deal means for the Magic, though, let’s focus on Ibaka, the real prize in this trade.
Ranked No. 45 in my top-150 fantasy rankings last week, Ibaka’s fantasy value figures to take a hit on a team with two tremendous scorers in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, and there’s a real chance he won’t be able to match the shot attempts (12.6 field goal attempts) or scoring (15.1 points per game) from his half-season in Orlando.
On the other hand, the veteran could have a little extra pep in his step the rest of the way this season, going from an Orlando team with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference to a 32-23 Raptors team with a real shot to compete with conference favorites Cleveland and Boston for a shot at the NBA Finals.
One thing to watch closely is Ibaka’s minutes because in Orlando’s crowded frontcourt he played only 30.5 minutes per game this season, his lowest average since 2011-12 in OKC. There’s a chance coach Dwane Casey could use Ibaka two to three more minutes per game, which could offset some of the concerns that come with him going to a team with two big-time scorers.
For now, I expect Ibaka to remain a top-50 fantasy player.
As far as the Magic are concerned, Ross will likely start at one of the two wing positions, with Evan Fournier manning the other one. Ross provides additional 3-point shooting to a team that enters Tuesday ranked 28th in the league in 3-point percentage, ahead of only Oklahoma City and Chicago. What Ross provides as a shooter and scorer, though, he lacks elsewhere, having averaged 0.8 assists per game with Toronto this season.
The other notable player who will be affected here is enigmatic third-year forward Aaron Gordon, who had been playing out of position as a small forward but now will likely slide to his natural position of power forward, where he has a chance to shine as a defender and rebounder. Gordon never looked comfortable as a small forward, a position that requires more offense and shooting ability, two areas that the affable University of Arizona product still needs to improve.
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