3 potential destinations for Bismack Biyombo in free agency
Even if they're deemed fouls, anyone who stonewalls LeBron James twice at the rim in consecutive games is going to garner headlines.
So here he is: Bismack Biyombo has been the improbable breakout star of the conference finals. He set a franchise-record for rebounding, he's swatting shots, he's got Dikembe Mutombo talking about his finger wags, and most importantly, Biyombo's success on the big stage has him in line for a huge raise.
Having earned just $2.8 million with the Toronto Raptors this season, reports suggest Biyombo will earn more than $16 million per season when he becomes a free agent this summer.
Here's three potential destinations for Biyombo and his newfound fame.
Toronto Raptors
Staying put with the Raptors would certainly satisfy a fan base that's come to embrace Biyombo. But the logistics would be difficult.
The Raptors don't have Biyombo's Bird Rights, so they wouldn't be able to go into the luxury tax to sign Biyombo. And since DeMar DeRozan is also slated to become a free agent, the Raptors really only have enough room to sign one.
Another option exists where existing contracts could be moved to create more cap space. Liquidating the contract of Terrence Ross, for example, could pave the way to squeeze in Biyombo and DeRozan provided that they take some minor discounts.
But ultimately, more than anything else, there just might not be enough room on the Raptors for both Biyombo and Jonas Valanciunas. Not only would committing nearly $30 million to the center position create a redundancy, Biyombo and Valanciunas haven't shown any ability to share the court at once.
Toronto already has its center of the future, and while Biyombo makes for an excellent backup, those resources might be best spent elsewhere.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Raptors laid out the blueprint for maximizing a player of Biyombo's talents. It takes some tricky scheming to work around Biyombo's offensive limitations, but that can be covered up with two high-usage perimeter players.
That's where Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum come in. All they would need is for Biyombo to set high screens then roll to the hoop. Portland has shooters at every other position to make up for Biyombo's lack of offense, leaving him free to screen, roll, then to chase rebounds - which Biyombo's happy to do.
On the other end, the Blazers desperately lack a bona fide rim protector. Biyombo can fill that void with his athletic prowess. He's an excellent rebounder, and he posted the second-highest block percentage in the league this season.
Portland has loads of cap room, and if the team is looking for a young center that fits its budget, timeline, and roster, Biyombo's a perfect fit.
Orlando Magic
Similar to the Blazers, the Magic could also use a defensively sound center to help Frank Vogel build yet another elite defensive outfit. The Magic played most of last season with the likes of Dewayne Dedmon and Channing Frye at center - Biyombo would represent a significant upgrade.
The Magic also have money to burn. Having cleared out their cap sheet, Orlando is shaping up to be a prime free agency destination as they have enough room to accommodate two max players. But if they miss out on the cream of the crop, hardier options like Biyombo should still be available.
The downside to adding Biyombo would be spacing. Namely, Orlando hardly has any space to work with. Save for Evan Fournier (slated to become a restricted free agent), the Magic's guards can't shoot, nor can any of their forward options stretch out to the 3-point line. That would allow defenses to zone up the paint and slow Orlando's offense to a crawl.