Toronto Raptors: What Marc Gasol picking up his player option means

Marc Gasol has picked up his player option to stay with the Toronto Raptors for another season. How does this decision affect the Raptors moving forward?

Rejoice Raptors fans. As expected, Toronto Raptors big man Marc Gasol has decided to pick up his $25.6million player option for the 2019-2020 season.

Marc Gasol was a key contributor for the Raptors both down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs. Deciding to pick up his option ensures that the Toronto Raptors will be able to promise the return of all of their core pieces from their 2019 NBA championship squad.

Retaining Gasol is a critical step in the Raptors hopes to retain Kawhi Leonard in free agency. Being able to bring back the championship core has to be considered a prerequisite as far as it pertains to alleviating any uncertainty regarding Kawhi Leonard’s decision to potentially stay with the Raptors.

Danny Green is also a free agent but has indicated multiple times, most recently at his Hoops Talk event that he would like to run it back and try to defend the championship if Kawhi re-signs.

Free agency has already begun for the Toronto Raptors. And they have won phase one by not having to deal with the prospect of losing Marc Gasol. Even though it was a slim one, there was always the outside chance that Marc Gasol chose to bet on himself to secure one last long term contract following achieving his dream of capturing an NBA championship.

Gasol made a good decision returning to a Raptors squad that will not need to him to log heavy minutes until next years playoffs. While he won’t be subject to the same load management Kawhi benefits from, both his minutes and games played can, and will most likely be managed in an effort to keep him fresh for when it matters most.

As most Raptors fans may know, evaluating a players impact extends beyond the basic box score. This is especially true when the player in question is one of the top passing big men in the league and a former Defensive Player of the Year. Yes, he racked up 4.4 assists per game last season, but he also creates points via screens.

His ball movement and threat to drain the three at the top of the arc makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses. His size, strength and defensive prowess can frustrate most, if not all of the NBA’s big men. Gasol tied for 10th in the league in defensive win shares during the regular season and tied for third in the league in the playoffs.

Let’s take a look at his on-court impact via stats.nba.com. Before the trade for Marc Gasol, the Toronto Raptors ranked fifth in net rating, seventh in offense, and eighth in defense. The Raptors were 23rd in the league in three-point shooting (34.5 percent) and 22nd in assist percentage (57.8 percent).

After acquiring Gasol the Raptors jumped to fourth in the league in net rating, and third in defense. Their offense slipped to ninth, but this is likely because other offenses became more efficient over that final 26 game stretch. The Raptors also soared to first in three-point shooting at 41 percent, and fourth in assists percentage at 65.5 percent.

There are still a couple of days to go before the negotiating window opens on the evening of June 30th, but Toronto Raptors fans can enjoy this victory until then. Resident party animal, a fan favorite, and championship parade MVP, Marc Gasol will be a Toronto Raptor for at least one more season.