The Case for Re-Signing Marc Gasol
The Toronto Raptors are heading into an offseason that could radically reshape the team's frontcourt.
For the past season and a half, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka have become staples of the Raptors organization. They've provided a great yin and yang for Toronto's offence, with Gasol as the more hesitant, pass-first big, and Ibaka serving as the shooter with more offensive firepower.
Now the two centres are heading into unrestricted free agency and have been called "priorities" by Raptors president Masai Ujiri.
Over the next few weeks, we'll dive deep into all the machinations of Toronto's 2020 offseason, but for now, let's look at the case for re-signing Gasol.
1. He's still valuable on the court
The playoffs were not particularly kind to Gasol this year. The 35-year-old looked every bit his age offensively, seemingly unable to make his shots and reluctant to shot anything beyond a few feet from the hoop.
He averaged just six points per game in the playoffs and made just five 3-pointers in Toronto's two series. Offensively, he was negative throughout the playoffs, but he continued to show the defensive fortitude he's made a career out of.
In the regular season, that defensive strength was even more apparent. He held opposing teams to just 98.9 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court, well off the 106.6 points per 100 possessions they scored when he was off the court.
Even at his age, Gasol still has the savviness and size to frustrate opposing teams, especially those with talented bigs.
2. Veteran Leadership
Considering the state of Toronto's frontcourt, it's very possible, if not likely, the Raptors will use their first round pick, 29th overall, this year on a big. It could take that rookie a little while to get acclimated to the NBA, especially if the preseason is truncated due to COVID-19.
At this point in Gasol's career, he's seen it all and he should be able to provide important mentorship to this year's rookie
"Marc Gasol brings so much to our organization," Ujiri said, adding the leadership of Ibaka and Gasol is indescribable.
3. Short Term Deal
This offseason is going to be a balancing act for Ujiri and the Raptors. They've made it clear they want to bring back Fred VanVleet and the two centres, but they also want to maintain cap space for 2021 when Giannis Antetokounmpo and a star-studded group of free agents will hit the market.
"We have to look at the short-term future and we have to look at the longterm future," Ujiri said. "We have to look at [the] key year which is 2021 and free agency."
In order to keep cap space open for 2021, the Raptors are likely going to have to avoid offering multi-year deals to their centres. Considering Ibaka is just 31 years old and coming off a career year, it might be hard for Toronto to get him to return on one year. If that's the case, the Raptors should pivot and make sure they can retrain Gasol who could find his market depressed considering the salary cap constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
