Raptors officially sign Lowry, Ibaka to reported 3-year deals

The Toronto Raptors officially re-signed franchise point guard Kyle Lowry and big man Serge Ibaka on Friday.

Lowry’s deal is reportedly worth a guaranteed $90 million over three years, with a chance to reach $100 million through incentives. Ibaka’s contract is reported to be a three-year, $65-million pact.

Ibaka will now get a full offseason to acclimatize to coach Dwane Casey's system alongside Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and the rest of the Raptors' core. The 27-year-old was acquired from the Orlando Magic on Feb. 14 for shooting guard Terrence Ross and a first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The pick was used to select Anzejs Pasecniks, whose rights are now held by the 76ers.

In 23 regular-season and 10 postseason games after moving to Toronto, Ibaka averaged 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 3-pointers, and 1.5 blocks per game.

Lowry's near-max deal rewards him for spearheading the most successful run in Raptors history. Since the team acquired him ahead of the 2012-13 season, the 31-year-old has averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.6 steals, while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from 3-point range, with a 20.5 PER. He ranked 11th league-wide in win shares over that span.

Lowry's also been an All-Star in each of the past three seasons, and was an All-NBA third-teamer in 2015-16. He's led the Raptors to the four best regular seasons and two best playoff runs in franchise history, including a trip to the Eastern Conference finals.

In his most recent campaign, while limited to 60 games due to a wrist injury, Lowry produced perhaps his finest work to date, posting career highs in points and rebounds per game, field-goal and 3-point percentage, PER, win shares per 48 minutes, and virtually every other offensive category.

Ibaka, a three-time All-Defensive Team selection in his early-career tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder, will see his athleticism in the paint be his greatest asset in Toronto, though his 37.1 percent 3-point shooting over the past four seasons will also help spread the floor for an offense that has a propensity to become crowded by DeRozan's mid-range-heavy scoring approach.

A minor controversy broke leading up to Ibaka's free agency after continued rumors that he and several other players of African origin may be lying about their ages. The Republic of the Congo-born big man flatly denounced such claims.