Report: Celtics talked to Magic about Ibaka, wouldn't give up Rozier

The Toronto Raptors took advantage of a tepid market to pry Serge Ibaka from the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, for the modest price of Terrence Ross and a late first-round draft pick.

The Raptors may not have had a chance to pull the trigger when they did, however, if their Atlantic Division rivals had been more aggressive. The Boston Celtics had been discussing an Ibaka deal with the Magic, but were unwilling to part with second-year point guard Terry Rozier, sources told Jared Weiss and Keith Smith of CelticsBlog.

The Celtics, who've made a habit of sitting on their hands rather than pushing a stack of their chips into the middle of the table, reportedly weren't interested in parting with assets to acquire an impending free agent who they didn't feel would make them a legitimate title contender. Perhaps they were also reluctant to upset the balance of chemistry that has them firing on all cylinders right now, with 10 wins in their last 11 games.

The Raptors have fewer draft assets, an older roster, and more commitments beyond this season than the Celtics, making this trade deadline a more urgent one for them. The Celtics can open up enough cap space this summer to sign a max free agent, and they'll likely set their sights higher than a player of Ibaka's caliber. The Raptors will be capped out if and when they re-sign Kyle Lowry, making acquiring Ibaka's Bird rights a priority.

Still, there is an opportunity cost here for the Celtics, and refusing to budge on Rozier is a curious decision for a team that already has two firmly entrenched point guards in Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart. In 50 games off the bench this season, Rozier is averaging 5.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, while shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from 3-point range.