Should the Toronto Raptors re-sign Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, or Both?

Option C: Toronto Raptors Re-sign Both

Finally, this option is the most difficult, however, it could very well end up benefiting the Raptors to simply run it back with the same players as this past season. One of the best parts of the Raptors is their depth and their ability to change the rotation depending on the match-up. This was especially true for the centre position where Nick Nurse would routinely switch between Gasol and Ibaka to take advantage of a more favourable match-up.

Which is why it is not a bad idea for Masai Ujiri to consider resigning both his centres for at least one more season. Both players are veterans who know the system and have won a championship with the organization which could be an incentive for them to run it back one more time.

Not to mention if the Raptors only re-sign one of their centres, then it leaves them very thin at the position. Young players like Chris Boucher and Dewan Hernandez are still developing and are not ready to contribute yet.

Also, the free-agent market for centres that fit the Raptors are either non-existent or too expensive to sign. Thus by re-signing Serge and Marc the Raptors would be able to maintain depth at a weak position and if done right will still have the financial flexibility they need to go after Giannis in 2021.

There are a few drawbacks to this option, the main one revolves around how much will it cost the Raptors to re-sign both players and have money left to sign VanVleet. Ideally, the Raptors would need to pay both players a combine $20-25 million next season which means either one of them or both will need to take a pay cut to make the numbers work.

The second issue has to do with the length of the contracts, both players are ageing and although they can both be productive players the Raptors need to maintain financial flexibility for the future. The best-case scenario is Masai convinces both players to take a pay cut and sign for one maybe two year deals, to ensure the Raptors will be competitive next season and still maintain cap space for 2021.

Although this scenario sounds great on paper, the reality is it will take a lot negotiations and cap juggling to make all the numbers work and satisfy all parties involved. Overall the Raptors have to make a decision on which one of the centres do they want to re-sign, they definitely have options and each one can benefit the team.

It just comes down to what Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster decide is the best course of action for not only short term success of this team but the long term as well. The one calming factor is the Toronto Raptors have a person like Masai Ujiri to make these decisions and if his history shows us one thing, it is that Masai will make the best decision to win.