Serge Ibaka attends the BODY At The ESPYs pre-party at Avalon Hollywood on July 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo : Getty Images for EPIX/Monica Schipper)
The Toronto Raptors are in for some changes following the latest NBA trade involving Serge Ibaka and Terence Ross. The deal also involved a 2017 first-round pick to the Magic.
The Toronto Raptors are hoping to get more veteran help following the NBA trade involving Serge Ibaka for Terence Ross plus a 2017 first-round pick. Ibaka adds more experience to the younger big men of head coach Dwane Casey.
Kyle Lowry hopes that the recent acquisition of Serge Ibaka helps the Raptors’ fortunes. Toronto has lost 10 of their last 14 games and Lowry aired that something had to change, ESPN reported. That may come in the person of the 27-year-old power forward who can both shoot from outside and play hard-nosed defense.
DeMar DeRozan also felt a bit relieved with the coming of Ibaka, knowing that a big load will be taken off their shoulders. The Raptors are currently 32-24 in the Eastern Conference and running fourth in the standings.
The Serge Ibaka for Terence Ross trade is the latest from a plethora of deals expected to take place. Names like Jahlil Okafor, Rajon Rondo, and Brook Lopez are being mentioned in potential trade deals and something could be consummated before the Feb. 23 deadline.
Ibaka actually drew interest from several teams like the Boston Celtic and the Miami Heat. Like the Raptors, these Eastern Conference heavyweights are beefing up their roster with the postseason wars nearing.
Worth noting is that Ibaka’s stay may depend on how he blends in with Lowry, DeRozan and the rest. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this Summer and is expected to entertain lucrative offers, Basketball Insiders reported. A lot will depend as well on how Ibaka’s coming will fit in with the Raptors.
For Terence Ross, he moves to a team where he may land a bigger role. Ross does have two years remaining on his contract which is worth $10.5 million per season. The Magic are in need of a player who can take over, something which the Serge Ibaka experiment failed to accomplish.
The Serge Ibaka trade may not be the last one for the Magic. The names of Nikola Vucevic, Jeff Green and C.J Watson are also lingering in the trade rumor mill, meaning more moves could ahead for the struggling Orland franchise who are 21-36 as of this writing.
The video below sheds more details on the Serge Ibaka for Terence Ross trade deal.
