NBA Free Agents 2020: Latest Predictions for Serge Ibaka, Dwight Howard, More
Serge Ibaka has been a solid player in the NBA for more than a decade. After bouncing between a few teams earlier in his career, the 7-foot center has found stability the past few years with the Toronto Raptors.
Now, Ibaka is one of the best big men who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. If he doesn't return to the Raptors, then there surely should be plenty of teams interested in adding him. Not only is Ibaka a solid player, but he's a veteran who has experienced success as he helped Toronto win the NBA championship in 2019.
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Will Ibaka come back to the Raptors next season and potentially for longer? Here's a prediction, along with guesses for where several other top free-agent big men will head this offseason.
Serge Ibaka
When the season was suspended, Serge Ibaka was averaging a career-high 16 points per game as well as 8.3 rebounds a contest and shooting 51.8 percent from the field. And in the Raptors' quest to defend their NBA championship, they were second in the Eastern Conference at 46-18.
It seems like things are going great between the Raptors and Ibaka, who is in his fourth season with the team. Perhaps that's why the 30-year-old forward has already expressed a desire to return to Toronto after the season, when he's set to become an unrestricted free agent.
"I'm going to stay, bro," Ibaka told Matt Rodrigo of Sportsnet. "This place is beautiful. ... It's a beautiful city, beautiful people here and then we have one of the best teams. Why leave?"
Of course, things could change when the offseason gets here, but that seems unlikely at this point. Toronto remains a title contender, and Ibaka is a key piece of its roster whether he's starting or coming off the bench. Expect Ibaka to remain on the team for at least a couple more seasons.
Prediction: Ibaka re-signs with Raptors
Now that Dwight Howard has had a career resurgence in a bench role for the Lakers, it's easy to see why teams would be interested in adding the 34-year-old center. In 62 games this season, Howard is averaging 7.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while providing a veteran presence.
But there may not be an opportunity for other teams to pursue Howard, as it's possible he'll work out a deal with Los Angeles before hitting the market.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst (h/t Aegir Svensson of TalkBasket.net), the Lakers are more likely to re-sign Howard rather than pursue fellow center DeMarcus Cousins, who will also be hitting free agency.
Howard may not have many years of his career left, but the Lakers are in win-now mode with a core that features a pair of superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Howard has never won an NBA title in 16 NBA seasons, and returning to Los Angeles may give him best opportunity to do that before he retires.
Although Howard will never be the star player he was early in his career again, he's proved that he can still be a solid contributor. That will be enough for the Lakers to want to bring him back, so don't be surprised to see Howard back in Los Angeles for the 2020-21 season.
Prediction: Howard re-signs with Lakers
Hassan Whiteside
The Hornets have some talented young players on their roster, but they're still lacking a dominant big man who can give them a huge presence under the net. So, who better to pursue this offseason than 7-foot center Hassan Whiteside?
Set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, Whiteside is having one of the best seasons of his career in his first year with the Trail Blazers. Over 61 games, he's averaged 16.3 points, 14.2 rebounds and an NBA-high 3.1 blocks per game. He had been a consistently strong player the previous five seasons in Miami, so it's not too surprising to see him having success in Portland.
Charlotte should have plenty of cap space to give Whiteside the type of deal he's seeking, whatever that may be, and it could pair him with power forward P.J. Washington to have a solid frontcourt to construct its lineup around. And although the Hornets were on pace to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season, they have a strong core, and adding Whiteside could help them take another step.
There will likely be other suitors for Whiteside, too, but this is a potential fit that would make sense for both sides and seems like could possibly happen.
Prediction: Whiteside signs with Hornets
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