The Lakers are expected to target veteran forward Serge Ibaka in free agency this year, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reports, citing league executives.
Ibaka, 31, averaged 15.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 27 minutes per game for the Raptors last season, proving his worth as a frontcourt option off the bench or as a starter. He holds 11 seasons of NBA experience, making stops with Oklahoma City and Orlando before reaching Toronto via trade in 2017.
Deveney suggests that the Raptors are still probably the favorites to sign Ibaka this fall, but that the big man may be willing to leave for a chance to compete for a championship elsewhere. The Celtics, Clippers, Heat, Mavericks, and Trail Blazers are among the other clubs expected to have interest, per Deveney, though the defending champions could probably give Ibaka the best chance to play for a title.
“From a personnel standpoint, he is exactly the kind of combo big guy that team (the Lakers) needs,” one general manager said. “They have had interest in him before and they will again. When he is healthy he is an excellent spot starter at the 5 (center) and the 4 (power forward). He is as good a bench big guy as there is in the league. He was a really credible 3-point threat last year. If he is willing to accept what the Lakers can afford to give him, I know they would want him.”
The Lakers own a mid-level exception worth $9.3MM, though it’s unclear whether the team prefers to spend it on one player or split it among multiple free agents. L.A. is coming off its first title since 2010 and has several players set to reach free agency, including Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris.
Anthony Davis ($28.75MM), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($8.49MM), Avery Bradley ($5MM), JaVale McGee ($4.2MM) and Rajon Rondo ($2.69MM) also have player options, with Davis expected to re-sign after opting out and Rondo and Caldwell-Pope both likely to decline their options.
The NBA plans to start free agency shortly after the Nov. 18 draft, though exact details remain unknown.
Really hoping the Heat can nab him to start next to Bam.
Coming back to Raptors around double what Lakers can offer!
Lakers can easily get rid of KCP and Bradley to clear the cap space.
Raptors are likely to pay him 3 years $60M, but next year salary could be
$20 million minus $8 million revenue loss = 12 million
3 and 60? Where are you coming up with this stuff? The Raptors are incredibly UNLIKELY to pay Ibaka 60 million over 3 years.
How?
Ibaka is much better than Horford
I am not going to explain it to you. Just wait and see.
Lakers won’t have more than $6M to spend, that’s all.
They’ll have the full MLE which will be around 10 mil
KCP is already expected to opt out, and Bradley opting out frees up just $5M. Sure they can sign players before re-signing AD but they’re going to be way into the luxury tax like the Warriors and Sixers if they do that.
Lakers are not allowed to re- sign KCP and Bradley according to cba
It create the cap hold if resign
I love “excellent spot starter”. In other words, Ibaka is at one at the best at being pretty good.
He’s much better than a spot starter. He’d be the starting center on most teams around the league. He’s also been a three point threat for years. That scout’s opinion is worthless
Rondo has more rings than Beard, Russ, PG13 and Steve Nash combined lol.
And Randy Brown has more than Rondo.
Top 5 hottest community
VanVleet
Ibaka
Wood
Harrell
Joe Harris
Commodity
thank you for the clarification
right, and you said VanVleet will get 140 million max contract, Ibaka will get 3/60 million, and Harrell will get 25 million a year. Wait and see.
Raptors did not win the East, VanVleet value goes down.
My projections:
VanVleet 4-years 110M
Ibaka 3-years 60M
Wood 3-years 60M
Harrell 4-years 100M
Joe Harris -4 years 70M
Lol no one is paying Harrell 25mill a year.
Ok, You’re way off.
VanVleet will get around 20M per year
Ibaka, Wood, and Harrell will get around 11M per year
Harris will probably get around 15 per year
No way Ibaka gets 3/60. He’ll get 18-20M for one year from Raptors or 9-10M max over multiple years from another team if he wants to leave.
I’d say 12-15 from other teams. When you see the price of other stretch bigs like Lopez getting over 12 a year, he’s worth more
It’s not about worth
It’s about reality – market indicate overpay
Two options
1. Ibaka 3 years $90M
2. Rozier 3 years $57M
I’ll pay Ibaka.
You would pay Ibaka 30 million dollars a year.
Good to know.
According to my eye test
Ibaka is top 5 defender inside out
Ibaka is top 5 efficient offensive big man
Sillivan, as usual you make no sense.
Ibaka is not getting Horford cash, or close to it. The teams that have cap space to sign him to more than $9.8M are either too early in their rebuild (Detroit and Charlotte), don’t fit the timeline for being competitive (NY and Atlanta) or likely have eyes on someone else (Miami). He gets $20M, but it’s for one year with Toronto, and likely only if they re-sign Fred.
There is still a pandemic, teams still did not make ticket or arena related revenue this summer, and may not again for the upcoming season. Regardless of how much money gets rolled back from the players with the losses, teams are still not going to overspend for anyone not named Fred VanVleet.
If Ibaka wants to go the LAKERS, he better sign with Klutch first ……… for some reason Klutch players get to the LAKERS really fast.
It must be Caruso doing all the pseudo-GM stuff behind the scenes …….. always knew there was something about that bald-headed freak.
I agree with you Mike. Klutch is the way and everyone knows it
The lakers don’t need ibaka, they should get myles turner
Why would anyone pay Ibaka more than ME. Only Raptors would do it. Ibaka hasn’t even been a starter last two yrs. He’s avg 27 mins for 3 yrs. He is 31 and not a shooter. He is a good mix for some teams. But you can’t expect him to start and avg 36 mins. He is a rotation player now. A good one at that. He’s only valuable to a contender. But none of them have more than ME to pay him. So either he stays and gets maybe 15 mill. Or he chases a ring (Warriors, Heat, Lakers ) and takes ME. All three teams is a good place for him. But then Howard is also a good rotation guy for them (Heat, Warriors, Heat, Clippers) and cheaper.
Your so right but yet so wrong. Yes he has played 27 mins for the last 3 seasons but you said he can’t shoot. However last year he put up 51 FG% and 38.5% 3P% while averaging a career high 15.4 points per game, career high 6.1 defensive rebounds per game, and career high 1.4 assists per game.
You then said he’s not a starter and can’t average 36 mins per game. In the whole league only 5 players averaged 36 minutes per game or more. Minutes also isn’t a great way to say if what role someone has, last season Carmelo Anthony averaged 32.8 minutes per game which is more than Kawhi, Vuce, Joker, Ja, Kemba and so many others yet these guys are all stars and Melo is a role player.
So to finish if say Ibaka is perfect for most teams as the modern day centre/power forward. He can shoot it from deep well, blocks shots, has playoff experience and is a team player.
Would be a good fit for Clippers, Lakers, Nets, Rockets, Heat, Warriors and so many others
It’s too bad the Celtics won’t have the $ to sign Ibaka… he would be the perfect for for them either starting at the 5 or coming off the bench with Theis remaining in the lineup. unfortunately they’re only going to have the tax-payer MLE which is only around $5… and unless they get really creative they won’t even really have the pieces to attempt a sign and trade. But if they could somehow figure something out… he really would be a perfect fit for the team.
Thought he’d be a great fit with Houston Rockets.
Can play centre full time, has a past relationships with Harden and Russ. Would be a great on the court and off the court fit with his ability to shoot the three and block shots.
1. Russ. Rivers
2. Harden. Gordon
3. Covington
4. Tucker. House
5. Ibaka
Then maybe trade Russ away…
I’d like to see Pat Bev and PG13 for Russ and 2 first round picks.
1. Harden. Beverly
2. PG. Gordon
3. Covington
4. Tucker. House
5. Ibaka
Lakers should trade javale and cook. Then trade green + kuzma for a reliable wing player who can knock down 3s. Let kcp walk, resign rondo and sign Ibaka. No one is scoring on ad and Ibaka.
Carsuso/bradley
Oladipo/Forunier/holiday
Lebron James
Anthony Davis
Serge Ibaka
Bench
Rondo
Talon Tucker
Kuzma (if not traded)
Kostas
Cacok
Dwight Howard
dudley
Possibly better than last year?
Oladipo and Holiday going to cost a lot.
So trade Kuzma,Green & a pick for Derozen.
Lakers will likely get Tristan Thompson. I get they they want every single top role player but Ibaka & Vanvleet will stay with the raptors. Haters can go throw a tantrum…
Ehh I see the Heat as a good fit for Ibaka. I’d much rather have the Lakers resign Boogie and Dwight Howard and make moves to try and get Joe Harris