Report: Marvin Bagley III to Pistons, Serge Ibaka to Bucks in 4-Team Trade

The Sacramento Kings traded Marvin Bagley III to the Detroit Pistons as part of a four-team deal that also included the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles will head to the Kings as part of the trade, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The Bucks are acquiring forward-center Serge Ibaka and two second-round picks, while Semi Ojeleye and Rodney Hood head to the Clippers.

Ibaka could serve as an integral rotation piece for a Milwaukee team looking to repeat as champions, while DiVincenzo may be a long-term centerpiece for a revamped Sacramento team. The Kings already acquired Domantas Sabonis from the Indiana Pacers earlier this week. 

When the Bucks made their title run last season, P.J. Tucker proved to be a valuable defender and rebounder in the postseason. He averaged 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 29.6 minutes per game across the playoffs.

With Tucker gone, that’s likely the same kind of role Milwaukee is envisioning for Ibaka. The 32-year-old has also shown he can be effective in the postseason, having helped the Toronto Raptors win their first title in 2019.

The 6’10” Ibaka also provides much needed frontcourt depth considering the Bucks have been rolling with Bobby Portis, who isn’t a natural 5, and a past-his-prime Greg Monroe at center. Starting center Brook Lopez has played only one game this season because of a back injury.

In the event the reigning champs made a reasonably big move ahead of the deadline, DiVincenzo was the most likely candidate to go.

The 25-year-old, who missed the start of the season due to ankle surgery, has been solid so far. For his career, he’s averaging 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.

DiVincenzo didn’t establish himself as an irreplaceable member of the rotation, though, particularly after missing the Bucks’ entire title run last year. He’s set to become a restricted free agent this summer, which also might have factored into the decision to trade him.

Bagley’s departure from Sacramento was all but inevitable after his agent, Jeff Schwartz, publicly called out the Kings in October. Schwartz said it was “completely baffling” for the team to omit him from its opening-night rotation before criticizing the organization even further:

The situation took another turn when Sean Cunningham of ABC10 reported Bagley refused to enter Sacramento’s 109-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 8. Former head coach Luke Walton didn’t provide a ton of clarity when addressing the report.

It seemed clear a divorce was the best for both parties. The firing of Walton and hiring of Alvin Gentry as interim coach had a positive effect on Bagley. It was nevertheless too little too late to salvage his future in Sacramento.

This trade brings an end to an underwhelming three-plus-year run for the 22-year-old.

The former Duke standout is on a trajectory to be his generation’s Sam Bowie, somebody remembered largely in connection to who was selected immediately after him in the NBA draft. The Kings passed on Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Trae Young to take the 6’11” forward in 2018. 

From that standpoint, a change of scenery could be beneficial. By moving to a new team, he may not burdened as much with being part of one of the biggest “what ifs” in Kings history. 

To this point in his career, Bagley is averaging 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 0.7 blocks. He’s also shooting 49.4 percent overall and 29.9 percent from beyond the arc. Although that isn’t great production, it allows room for some optimism.

Staying healthy could go a long way toward raising his ceiling on the court. He missed 20 games as a rookie and then logged only 13 appearances during the COVID-19-pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign. A fracture in his left hand limited him to 43 games this past season.

A player’s development will inevitably get derailed when he’s spending prolonged spells over multiple years on the bench.

In general, there’s nothing to indicate that Bagley is on the cusp of a breakout that will put him on the level of Young or Doncic. But he now has the fresh start he sorely needed and won’t be expected to serve as a cornerstone of the roster.

Meanwhile, the Pistons get to see Bagley for the second half of the season before he becomes a restricted free agent in 2022. They’re in an especially good position to take a flier on him.

The arrival of 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham didn’t instantly transform Detroit into a contender. Right now, the front office is in asset-acquisition mode and is looking to see which players might fit as long-term pieces.

With Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons appear to have a solid foundation in their frontcourt. Perhaps Bagley can carve out a role as a reserve.

If he thrives in the Motor City, it might enable Detroit to trade Grant, since the 27-year-old forward might not be on the same timeline as his younger teammates.