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NBA Free Agency 2017: 20 best players available

By John Buhler

Mar 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) in the second half of the game against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center. Clippers won 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) in the second half of the game against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center. Clippers won 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Serge Ibaka
Apr 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka (9) goes to shoot against Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Milwaukee defeated Toronto 97-83. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Serge Ibaka

Power Forward, Toronto Raptors

Keep an eye on the power forward market this summer. This is the position group that we could see the greatest amount of shuffling from. While the Toronto Raptors would love to bring him back into the fold on a long-term contract, power forward Serge Ibaka will get paid one way or another this summer in his unrestricted free agency.

Ibaka has already moved twice in the last year. He played for the 2015-16 Oklahoma City Thunder that were up 3-1 in the 2016 Western Conference Finals on the Golden State Warriors. That series would see Ibaka’s last game for the Thunder, as he was dealt to the Orlando Magic in a draft day trade for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova’s contract and what would become Domantas Sabonis. Orlando didn’t know what it was doing and dealt Ibaka to Toronto before the trade deadline.

Obviously, Toronto would not have traded for him if the Raptors didn’t think they had a great chance to re-sign Ibaka. The problem is that Toronto’s most valuable player in point guard Kyle Lowry will be hitting free agency as well, almost certainly commanding the five-year max with the Raptors. Could this leave Ibaka open to be poached by another team?

After averaging 14.8 and 6.8 rebounds between the Magic and Raptors, Ibaka is the best non-star on the power forward free agency market. Outside of a dysfunctional situation like the 2016-17 Magic, Ibaka will make every team he goes to better. There is almost no way he ends up signing with a non-playoff team this summer.

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