When Toronto got Serge Ibaka before the trade deadline last season, the Raptors made clear that they had no intentions of letting him walk away this summer in free agency.
And now that’s been proven.
Ibaka agreed to terms with the Raptors on a three-year contract with $65 million, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot be signed until the NBA’s offseason moratorium ends on Thursday.
The 27-year-old Ibaka was traded to Toronto from Orlando late last season. He averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23 games with the Raptors.
“His style of play fits our style of play,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said when the trade was made.
Toronto clearly hasn’t changed its thinking.
Ibaka is one of only 13 players in NBA history to make 100 3-pointers and record 100 blocks in the same season; he did it last season, along with Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis and Brook Lopez.
He was sent to Toronto by Orlando, in exchange for Terrence Ross and a first-round draft pick - a big price that would have looked even bigger if the Raptors had lost Ibaka for nothing this summer.
Entering his ninth NBA season, Ibaka has career averages of 12 points and 7.3 rebounds. Ibaka spent his first seven NBA seasons in Oklahoma City, helping the Thunder reach the 2012 NBA Finals against Miami.
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AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.
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For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
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