NBA Trade Grades: Toronto Raptors Snag Serge Ibaka

Toronto Raptors

For the Raptors, something had to be done if they wanted to keep their window open for title contention. Toronto has lost 10 of its last 14 games, sliding from second in the Eastern Conference standings all the way to fifth.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards both look like more legitimate threats to the Cleveland Cavaliers right now, and barring a blockbuster move, “We The North” was facing the possibility that its current core had reached its ceiling — a significantly worrisome conclusion with Kyle Lowry able to join free agency this summer.

By dealing for Ibaka, GM Masai Ujiri has made his all-in move, hoping the stretch-4 and shot-blocker will help aid the Raptors’ 17th-ranked defense and further bolster the NBA’s sixth-most potent three-point shooting team.

Giving up Ross’ 10.4 points per game and 37.5 percent three-point shooting off the bench is hardly a concern considering the theoretically perfect fit they acquired in Ibaka.

Trading a first-rounder for a soon-to-be free agent sounds bad on paper, but Toronto is trading its less valuable pick of the two it owns in this year’s draft. The Raptors have little need for two new rookies selected somewhere in the 20s, and according to Woj, Ujiri is set on re-signing both Lowry and Ibaka to keep this core together for the long haul.

With a Big Three of Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Ibaka, the Raptors are more balanced on both ends of the floor. Head coach Dwane Casey has a big he can trust on the defensive end in late-game situations, and Ibaka should help cover for some of Jonas Valanciunas‘ flaws on that end.

Ibaka is still only 27 years old, so acquiring him — and potentially re-signing him this summer — is not some desperate gamble to compete for a title in 2017; it’s also a move to prolong this group’s status as an Eastern Conference challenger.

However, there will be an adjustment period, and with Ibaka joining a team that’s currently floundering, it’s tough to predict his arrival will immediately turn things around. Re-signing both Lowry and Ibaka to the biggest deals of their careers will also put Toronto well over the luxury tax and force some hard decisions in the future.

The Raptors will try to keep this core intact no matter what happens in this year’s playoffs, as well they should. But if We The North struggles to truly compete in the East this year — especially with Kevin Love now sidelined for the next six weeks — committing that much money to this core won’t look quite as good in retrospect.

Next: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams

All in all, this is a win for Toronto. They gave up non-essential assets for a two-way player who should fit in perfectly, but only time will tell if Ibaka is truly the game-changing move that the Raptors have been waiting for to get them over that LeBron James-sized hump in the playoffs.

Grade: A-