Toronto Raptors: Should the Raptors re-sign Serge Ibaka?

The Toronto Raptors have a handful of players up for contract at the end of the 2019-20 season, Serge Ibaka included.

The Toronto Raptors have some players up for a contract at the end of the 2019-20 season, and the question is are they going to re-sign them or let them walk?

Serge Ibaka is one of the players who are up for a contract and his future with the team is up in the air as of right now.

So the question is, should the Toronto Raptors re-sign Serge Ibaka, or let him walk?

Serge Ibaka Contract

As we all know or some of us know by now, Serge Ibaka is currently in the last year of his three year deal with the Toronto Raptors.

Contract – 3 years/ $65M – average salary of $21,666,667M

Serge Ibaka and the Toronto Raptors signed this deal back before the start of the 2017-18 season. (Stats from Spotrac.com)

Serge Ibaka Stats

Serge Ibaka has cemented himself as a solid big man in the NBA, although he isn’t in the same conversation with players like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, etc, he is still a very good player that a team would love to play with rather than against.

2019-20 stats – 50 GP – 16.0 PPG – 8.3 RPG – 1.5 APG – .518 FG% – .398 3P% – .748 FT%

Ibaka has been playing the best basketball of his career this season, and that’s kind of odd since he’s now in his early 30s but I guess he ages like fine wine, and that’s totally fine. (Stats from NBA.com)

Is it Worth re-signing Serge Ibaka?

So now the important question is, should the Toronto Raptors re-sign the Ma Fuzzy chef, the art king, Serge Ibaka? Is it worth re-signing him? I truly think that they should go ahead and re-sign Ibaka to a contract extension for multiple reasons.

Like I was saying Ibaka is playing the best basketball of his career this season despite him being in his early 30s. As well if the Toronto Raptors don’t re-sign him they are left with no big men that can play the five position, besides Dewan Hernandez but I doubt they are going to give him starting minutes let alone come off the bench next year.

Another option to play the four and or the five with Ibaka gone is Chris Boucher, but he isn’t big in size. He is tall but lacks size like Ibaka and Gasol, so I doubt he’ll start either.

Another thing you got to think of too is what will the Toronto Raptors do with Marc Gasol? If they let him walk or if he retires then Ibaka re-signing will be more likely. If the Raptors don’t re-sign Ibaka or Gasol then they are obviously more than likely going to get a big man through free agency this offseason.

Some big men Raptors Could Target Instead

If the Toronto Raptors don’t go ahead and re-sign Serge Ibaka it would be a mistake but also wouldn’t be a mistake if they don’t re-sign him, because I could see where they’re coming from if they want to save that money for a somewhat younger big man. Also, if they want to save some money for Giannis during the 2021 offseason.

Some big men the Toronto Raptors could target if they don’t re-sign Ibaka are…

1. Andre Drummond – 27 years old – C
2. Hassan Whiteside – 31 years old – C
3. Tristan Thompson – 29 years old – C
4. Marcus Morris – 31 years old – PF
5. Bobby Portis – 25 years old – PF

I’m obviously not saying every one of these players is coming to Toronto or even just one, but these are just my picks for some players they should look at if they don’t go ahead and re-sign Ibaka.

All in all, I think that Serge Ibaka should re-sign with the Toronto Raptors for the reasons I listed above earlier, as well he also said it himself he wants to remain a Toronto Raptor and play here because he loves the team and the city very much.

Do you think the Toronto Raptors should re-sign Serge Ibaka, or let him walk?