top of page

Summary

As a stretch-big that can play either big position, Ibaka is still valuable despite not being the defensive force he was in his days in Oklahoma City. Ibaka struggled from three in the '18-'19 season, but shot a career-best 40% from three this past season. The majority of Ibaka's threes come from above the break, as he is a legitimate pick-and-pop threat. Ibaka has always struggled making quick decision off the catch, and has never developed into a playmaker.

 

As Ibaka ages into his thirties, it will be interesting to see if he is able to do much more than hit pick-and-pop threes. Even if that is his primary role, it should be enough to earn consistent minutes on good teams.

Cap Considerations

Ibaka will be an unrestricted free agent with full Bird rights. As his cap hold ($34.9 million) exceeds the salary he will get in free agency, his cap hold is not really relevant. If the Raptors re-sign Ibaka, his cap hold will be replaced by his starting salary, and the Raptors may still have some cap space available depending on his salary and what happens with their other free agents. If Ibaka is brought back by the Raptors on a multi-year contract, they could benefit from frontloading his contract, as it could give them additional flexibility in the future.

 

Ibaka will demand a starting salary of more than the full $938 million Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, which means only teams with cap space will be able to sign him. If Ibaka and an over-the-cap team have mutual interest, sign-and-trade options can be explored.

Potential Teams: Raptors, Mavericks, Suns, Celtics, Trailblazers

Predicted Contract: 1-year, $13 million with the Raptors

Actual Contract: 2-year, $19 million (player option) with the Clippers

Once Ibaka decided not to return to Toronto, getting the full MLE from a contender made a lot of sense, since most of the teams with cap space were not good fits for Ibaka.

Last updated: 12/31/2020

bottom of page