NBA: 5 big-name players who will be traded in 2019-20

Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors 

Stop me if I’m repeating myself, but the Raptors are going to rebuild and have a productive veteran player on an expiring deal that contending teams would be interested in. It’s more than just that with Ibaka though, and unlike Lowry, I think the Raptors will trade him closer to the start of the year than wait for the trade deadline.

Ibaka isn’t the only big man with an expiring contract on this team. Marc Gasol’s deal will also be done at the end of this season and I’d be really surprised if at least one of them isn’t on the move this year. To me, Ibaka is the more likely candidate.

It really just comes down to age when comparing the two. Ibaka will be celebrating his 30th birthday this week, while Gasol will be turning 35 during the middle of this upcoming season. If you put yourself in the shoes of a possible trade partner who would be giving up assets to make the deal work, wouldn’t you want the younger player who you can re-sign and keep for a few more seasons to make your investment worth it?

Gasol’s best days are certainly behind him and I’m not sure that the Raptors would be able to bring in anything that would make it worth their while.