The 2019/20 NBA season wrapped up just a few weeks ago, but Los Angeles Lakers are already looking into improving their NBA title-winning team. According to Heavy’s Sean Deveney, the Lakers are targeting Toronto Raptors’ big man Serge Ibaka as a potential pick-up in free agency.
One NBA general manager told Deveney that Lakers have been interested in Ibaka for quite some time and are intrigued by his ability to cover and defend multiple positions. The two-time NBA blocks leader primarily plays as a power forward but can be extremely valuable as a center in smaller lineups.
Ibaka also reinvented himself as an efficient three-point shooter, which would give the Lakers an ability to spread the floor without having to give up much on the defensive side of the ball. The 31-year-old averaged a career-high 15.4 points per game with Raptors last season while shooting 51.2 from the floor and 38.2 from the three-point arc.
The biggest obstacle for the Lakers’ pursuit of Serge Ibaka will be their cap situation. They will have a $9.3 million mid-level exception to spend, and given their depth, they would most likely like to split that between several players. This would leave around $5 million for Ibaka, and it is highly unlikely that he can’t get a few million on another playoff contender.
The Lakers’ only hope is that Ibaka prioritizes winning over money and that he would be ready to take a discount in order to have a better chance to get another ring.
Ibaka, who previously also played for Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic, averages 12.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game since he entered the league in 2009.
