4 biggest fleeces Masai Ujiri has pulled off with the Raptors
By Mike Luciano
3. Serge Ibaka for Terrence Ross
The Raptors may have ended up making it to the NBA Finals without Ibaka in the fold, but his ability to block shots and drain 3-pointers helped Toronto pull out some very close victories in that run. Considering what they fit him for, the Ibaka trade was an absolute steal for Toronto.
Terrence Ross was the piece sent to Orlando in the Ibaka deal. While he is performing better with the Magic than he ever did during his Toronto tenure. The trade hasn’t moved the needle for Orlando, but it made a world of difference for the Raptors in 2019.
Toronto Raptors: Serge Ibaka is better than Terrence Ross.
Ross has averaged 13.3 points per game in his five and a half seasons with the Magic, which is much better than the 9.5 he managed to scrape together with the Raptors. Ibaka, meanwhile, averaged 14.2 points and 7.4 boards per game on some of the best teams in the East.
The Congolese big man quickly became one of the most beloved Raptors that ever put those red and black jerseys, as the gregariousness he brought to the locker room and skill he flexed on the court was much more impactful than a garden variety bench bucket-getter like Ross.