The Vertical first reported the trade.
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Ibaka, who will now pair with Magic center and leading scorer Nik Vucevic averaged 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks last season. Russell Westbrook and Ibaka will both be unrestricted free agents after next season and if Durant left and Westbrook and Ibaka followed suit after next season, the Thunder would be left bare of their star core.
Orlando Pride are now (5-5-0, with 15 points) and remain undefeated at home with a 4-0-0 record having outscored opponents 7-1 in Orlando. His 12.6 points per game was his lowest mark since the 2011 season. The first thing to understand is that the trade never would have been made if there was a chance it would have affected Durant’s decision in free agency; it won’t, said a person close to the All-Star and former MVP.
Oladipo fills Oklahoma City’s need for a two-way shooting guard. Kevin Martin did not work out.
The Hornets dealt their only draft pick – the No. 22 selection overall – to the Sacrament Kings in exchange for veteran shooting guard Marco Belinelli, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday. I believe that Oladipo will thrive in OKC.
For a team that won 55 games and finished one win shy of the NBA Finals, it was a stunningly significant shakeup. Now will KD stay…
Sabonis is an impressive player who could be a long-time starter in the league, and is well-equipped to become a modern power forward who can play inside and outside.
“I’m not thinking, and I’m not talking about this”, Ibaka told reporters. Ibaka has been with the team for all of those previous failures, being drafted in the first round in 2008 when they were still the Seattle SuperSonics. “We wish him and Ersan [Ilyasova] the best of luck in the future”. I really love this trade for OKC and they clearly won this trade.
The other pieces are Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis. Or will they look somewhere else?
Ever since Orlando was forced to trade Dwight Howard in 2012, opposing players have driven to the hoop with relative ease.
At 26, soon-to-be 27, Ibaka will be the Magic’s second oldest player heading into free agency, meaning he’ll likely have to step up into a more refined leadership role. It was not realistic to think the Magic would re-sign Oladipo and Fournier to long-term deals simultaneously, especially with Hezonja also on the roster. The Celtics needed a shooter who could play off the ball with Isaiah Thomas or Marcus Smart on the floor. Sabonis is interesting as an addition to a rather full frontcourt that will now also feature a true stretch-4 in Ilyasova.
This deal is a huge shock, and perhaps will throw Durant for a loop in the immediate term. “It just gives us a lot of versatile interchangeable parts”. In making this move, Orlando may have found their man to get the job done. They get a PF who excels at blocking and defense in general.
Waiters is a solid offensive threat, but he has been inconsistent. I looked at his numbers a little bit; he’s not on the upswing, at least recently. It all depends on the play of Ibaka.
Ibaka will be able to come in and make an impact on the team, and hopefully help the Magic as they continue to move forward with their rebuild.
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