Marc Gasol exercises his option to return to Raptors for 2019/2020 season

One of the key pieces to the Toronto Raptors’ championship run has opted to come back for another season.

Veteran center Marc Gasol officially exercised his $25.6 million on Wednesday, which signals he will return to the club for the final year of his contract in 2019/2020.

The 34-year old Spainiard, who was acquired in a midseason trade after spending his entire NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies leading up to that point, averaged 9.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists with the Raptors in 26 games this past season, and 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 24 postseason games.

His ability to switch on defence, and defend big bodies such as Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and DeMarcus Cousins paid dividends for the Raptors in the 2019 playoffs, and ended up being one of the main reasons they won an NBA title for the first time in franchise history.

Gasol is entering the final season of the five-year, $110 million max contract he signed in July 2015, and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.