Marc Gasol (2008-2020)
NBA history changed with the Toronto Raptors trading for Marc Gasol ahead of February’s deadline. Gasol was almost equally important to Toronto’s defense vs. the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors, while Kawhi Leonard deservedly won the NBA Finals MVP. The 34-year-old starts the season on an expiring contract, and if the Raptors aren’t legally in the championship hunt following the holidays, Toronto will do well to trade him during the winter.
LaMarcus Aldridge (2006-2020)
Coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs can play multiple lineups vs. different opponents, including shifting LaMarcus Aldridge alongside Jakob Poeltl to feature. Aldridge undeniably has many steps at 34 years of age, but he still averaged 22.2 PPG and 8.9 REB for playoff teams for the past two seasons. The veteran joins the 2019-20 campaign needing to prove that he can help lead the Spurs past the conference’s top-tier teams, as in June, San Antonio can move on from him.