The Magic played one of their best games of the season Sunday, downing the Raptors in Toronto 114-113. That came on the heels of a cement-footed 30-point loss to the Celtics on Friday, one that had first-year coach Frank Vogel flashing some uncharacteristic rage, especially with the team’s woebegone defense, which ranks 22nd in the NBA in efficiency.

When he was asked about playing bad defense — the Magic have allowed 100-plus points in 20 games already this season — despite having good defensive players, Vogel balked.

“Some ways, I don’t think any of us are living up to, when you say, ‘We are good defensive players,’” Vogel said. “We’re not playing like good defensive players, and I’m not tying these guys together like a good defensive coach. So it’s a collective failure on that end and we have to get right.”

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Even with the nice Toronto win, Orlando is 19-30, and just 4-12 since pulling within three games of .500 on the day after Christmas. This is especially frustrating for Vogel, who thought he was getting a Magic team that would have an immediate defensive upgrade with the arrival of free-agent center Bismack Biyombo and veteran forward Serge Ibaka, acquired in a trade with the Thunder for Victor Oladipo and lottery pick Domantas Sabonis, plus forward Ersan Ilyasova.

Will the Magic trade Serge Ibaka?

It has not taken long for buyers’ remorse to kick in. League sources told Sporting News that the Magic have picked up their attempts to move Ibaka ahead of next month’s trade deadline, eager to ensure that they come away with some return for a player who does not figure to be in Orlando long. Ibaka will be a free agent this summer. There is no chance of a Biyombo trade, not after the Magic paid him $70 million for four years this offseason.

Oladipo is 24 and Sabonis is 20, and both have been starters on a team that is eight games over .500.

Ibaka, 27, has been productive, with 14.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 48.6 percent shooting from the field (38.3 percent from the 3-point arc), but he has not had the level of impact on the team’s defense the Magic had hoped. Ultimately, the team will have to shift third-year forward Aaron Gordon from small forward to power forward, Ibaka’s current spot.

But the big concern for Orlando is that they will have mortgaged two young pieces for Ibaka with no benefit, not even a modest bump in the standings. There is virtually no chance he stays in Orlando beyond this season. Ibaka is likely to search out a team more ready to contend in the summer, and the Magic can’t afford to hand him a big contract, not with Gordon still needing to develop as a power forward.

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Problem is, no one quite knows what Ibaka is going to do next July. The Magic want to recoup the loss of Sabonis and Oladipo with some other youngsters or picks in return. Teams are naturally reluctant to give up promising young assets for a few months of Ibaka, however, especially with the way each conference has been dominated by its defending champs, the Cavs in the East (despite recent struggles) and the Warriors in the West. A short-term rental is not likely to bring a championship.

“They’re asking too much,” one front office executive said. “(The Magic) would probably like to make a few moves there, but Ibaka is the one they’re really pushing because he is going to leave. But they have had too high a price. They want a young player and a pick, two young players — you know, a package that can get them back some assets. They’re not going to get that. Not for three, maybe four months of Serge Ibaka.”

Ibaka trade rumors involve Raptors, Rockets

Still, there will be pressure on some struggling top teams looking to keep pace in their conferences to pursue Ibaka, especially if there is some hope of keeping him around. In the East, both the Celtics and Raptors need some frontcourt defensive depth, and Toronto has been consistently interested in having Ibaka fill its power forward void. The Raptors are not much interested in giving up fifth-year swingman Terrence Ross (who is having his best NBA season) for Ibaka, though, a source said.

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In the West, the Rockets (4-7 in their past 11) have been looking for a veteran, defensive-minded big man for much of the year. Because Ibaka can shoot 3-pointers, and is a former teammate of point guard James Harden, there has been speculation that the Rockets will make a push for Ibaka, too.

And while the Magic want to save face on a deal for Ibaka, sources said the team has been aggressive in testing the trade market, apparently acknowledging that this sometimes-tantalizing team still needs some major alterations. Center Nikola Vucevic is also a potential trade target, and there has been talk that point guard Elfrid Payton —one player Vogel’s predecessor Scott Skiles wanted to trade before he resigned his post — could be had, too.

It’s been another tough year in Orlando. But officials will pursue changes in the weeks to come.