NBA Free Agency 2020: 5 offseason targets for the Phoenix Suns

2. Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka is one of the NBA’s premier pick-and-pop bigs. Once known as an elite shot-blocker, the decline of his athleticism hasn’t prevented him from being reliable on that end of the floor. His 3-point shooting — topping 36 percent five times in the last seven years — makes him an incredibly versatile 4 on the other end of the floor as well.

At 31 years old, Ibaka is still in his prime and is coming off a great year with the Toronto Raptors, averaging a career-high 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game on .512/.385/.718 shooting splits. He’s a respected and knowledgeable veteran with championship experience who’d be a tremendous get for a Suns franchise on the prowl for more useful players of his caliber.

However, realistically, Ibaka might be out of the Suns’ price range unless he were willing to take a slight discount to play with Booker and CP3. He made $23.3 million last year in Toronto, and while he won’t probably be making that much money again this summer, a player with his resume will always conjure up a market. His mid-range pick-and-pops would be unstoppable with either Suns guard, but they’d sort of infringe on Ayton’s territory in that respect.

Still, both big men have shown the propensity for stepping out and shooting the long ball, and if Ayton’s newfound confidence from the bubble carries over into his third season, the potential fit, defensive upgrade and offensive versatility with Ibaka would certainly be worth an extended look.