The Toronto Raptors could soon be getting back a key piece of their rotation in the form of forward Serge Ibaka.

According to Blake Murphy of The Athletic, Ibaka could return as soon as Saturday when the team takes on the Atlanta Hawks.

Ibaka has been sidelined since Nov. 8 when he was diagnosed with a severe right ankle sprain. The ailment was believed to be serious enough to have kept him on the shelf for an extended period of time, although it appears that the healing has gone better than expected with his return somewhat on the horizon.

In the eight games that he has suited up for the Raptors, Ibaka averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest.

In his stead, Toronto has increased the playing time as a reserve for Chris Boucher, who posted the second double-double of his career during Monday's win against Charlotte.

With Ibaka back in the mix, Boucher would likely return to his original role as a lightly used bench piece, although how quickly Ibaka reclaims his 22.9 minutes per game average remains to be seen.

Also sidelined for the Raptors has been point guard Kyle Lowry, who left with a thumb injury the same night that Ibaka did. In the five games that the team has played without either man, they have gone 3-2 ahead of Wednesday's contest versus the Orlando Magic.

The win over the Hornets kicked off a six-game stretch of contests versus Eastern Conference opponents, including the first meeting of 2019-20 with Atlantic Division rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers.