Toronto Raptors Trade Rumors: How Much Could a Potential Deal for Serge Ibaka Help?
Serge Ibaka is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2016-17 NBA season
The Toronto Raptors find themselves in a very interesting position. Coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, the team is now clustered along with the likes of the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks as teams looking up at the Cleveland Cavaliers. This might be why one NBA trade rumor that has been making the rounds recently is particularly interesting.
In a recent article for The Undefeated that was actually more about potential landing spots for New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, noted NBA insider Marc J. Spears included a tidbit of information regarding what the Raptors may have in mind for this trading season.
Citing a source, Spears reported that the Raptors apparently have their eyes on a different Eastern Conference forward, with that being Serge Ibaka of the Orlando Magic.
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The reason this rumor is so interesting not just for the Raptors or the Magic but for the league as a whole is that if it is completed, the effects of this rumored trade could be really felt during the postseason.
Ibaka by himself may not be enough to get Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and the rest of the Raptors over the hump against the Cavaliers at full health, but equipped with strong rim protection skills and solid outside shooting, he may be able to put them in a better position to win a series should one of the key players of the Cleveland-based squad suffer an injury.
Furthermore, adding Ibaka could give the Raptors the edge over the other good but not great teams in the East, and if nothing else, earning consecutive trips to the NBA's version of the final four would be an impressive feat for a franchise that doesn't exactly have the most storied postseason history.
There's no word yet on whether the Raptors and the Magic are actually closing in on a deal that would get Ibaka to Toronto, but NBA trade rumors are fast-moving during this time of the year, and the team up north could still make a big move sometime soon.
