More centers traded, Ibaka on the block

Five centers have been traded this month (including two Plumlee brothers). Today’s trade includes the Blazers and Nuggets. via SBNation

The Portland Trail Blazers are trading Mason Plumlee and a 2018 second-round pick in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round pick via Memphis, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.

Nurkic was one name that I had an eye on, but obviously the Blazers found a deal they liked better than anything Ainge might have been offering (if he was interested at all).

Another name that keeps coming up in rumors is Serge Ibaka. Here’s Stein’s latest:

Sources say that Toronto and Miami are among the Eastern Conference teams that have expressed interest in Ibaka this month. More than one rival club has expressed the belief that Orlando will use the next 10 days before the deadline to keep fielding offers and then, ultimately, choose the best available package for Ibaka on Feb. 23 and make the move.

Can the Magic get a first-round pick back for Ibaka from a team seeking a playoff-tested vet to add to its frontcourt rotation? Or a quality player under 25 a la Oladipo?

Although the Celtics aren’t named, I wouldn’t rule them out as bidders for Ibaka. They certainly have future picks and younger players to offer.

There hasn’t been much in the way of specific Celtics related rumors to write about, but I expect that to change in the next week or so—Specifically around the All-Star break.