Veteran big man Serge Ibaka would be the perfect free agency signing for the Boston Celtics during this offseason.
Though it may sound weird, considering the state the world is currently in and has been for the better part of the year, the 2019-20 season proved to be quite a great one for the Boston Celtics.
Despite an offseason filled with such roster turnover, Beantown managed to bounce back after a disappointing 2018-19 season by winning just one less game (in 10 fewer games played, mind you), finishing with the third seed in the east, and wound up taking a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, marking it their third appearance in four seasons.
Now, as we embark into the offseason, the Celtics are looking to grow from their success found this past season by better positioning themselves for a run at glory come the 2020-21 season.
This can be accomplished in many different ways: the upcoming NBA Draft (where Boston holds the rights to 3 first-round picks), offseason trades, and free agency.
While they may not have the greatest of financial flexibility to sign the top-tier talents residing on the open market like they have over the past several seasons, they are still likely to be in the running for players willing to sign for the veteran’s minimum and mid-level exception.
One player that has been rumored to potentially be willing to accept the MLE is Toronto Raptors big man Serge Ibaka. Despite putting up impressive averages of 15.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and just shy of a block per game on 51 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent shooting from deep, the veteran center could find himself willing to accept such a deal due to the likely plummeted salary cap situation across the league.
Should this prove to be the case, the Boston Celtics should have the utmost interest in pursuing Ibaka, as we believe he is the perfect free-agent target for the team this offseason.
Here are 4 reasons why: