Raptors Jason Thompson – is this a spring fling, or is there a future?

Does Jason Thompson belong on the Raptors depth chart for 2016-17 or should we bid him farewell after the playoffs?

Jason Thompson joined the Toronto Raptors after being waived by the Golden State Warriors. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri offered Thompson a home as a short-term fix to patching our team’s severe weakness at power forward. He’s played in eight games, and provided respectable results. Does offering him a contract for next season make any sense?

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One of my guiding principles for roster management is this: avoid duplication of skills at one position. In the case of the position under consideration, I’d make it an article of faith to have no more than one “stretch-4”. Having one Steve Novak on the team can be justified, but not two.

The Raptors use Patrick Patterson as the backup behind Luis Scola, although 2-Pat often plays many more minutes than our starter. Patrick’s mobility, powered by his excellent footwork, renders him a fine defender. There are few men of his height and bulk who can motor like him. But to call him a “stretch-4” would be a stretch (sorry), as he has struggled with his shooting all season. He’s on track to record his poorest scoring numbers since his rookie season.

I’m eliminating Scola from consideration because I find it more plausible that he’ll be a Raptor coach next year than a player. So his roster slot is available, and our team will certainly need a banger in the paint to complement whoever emerges as our rotation centre.

Jason will be thirty years old and an eight-year veteran prior to the tipoff for the 2016-17 season. His best days are behind him, and he was never more than a journeyman. He’s not going to turn into Tim Duncan now that he’s a Raptor. But there’s a reasonable case to be made for keeping him.

Thompson can do more than throw his weight around. He was a guard in high school before a growth spurt pushed him into the front court, and he can put the ball on the floor. I don’t know how many isolation plays I’d like to run with him, but there are worse ideas. He’s even been trying to stretch out his shooting range to the 3-point line. Late-clock scenarios only, please.

Jason has been a consistent performer, albeit at a low level, for longer than most NBA careers last. He’s rarely been hurt and I’ve found nothing to indicate he’s a problem in the locker room. While I confess I haven’t worked out the money issues which will be consuming the time of Masai and his staff [20-second timeout: I wouldn’t want to be any NBA team’s capologist this summer. You’ll need to pitch a tent in your office to catch some sleep; with the salary cap going through the roof, quality free agents are going to be showered with offers.], there’s likely room for Jason.

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Masai should offer Jason a 2-year deal at $4 million (total!), with the second season non-guaranteed. Every team needs a couple of rotation guys whose task is no more than “Hold the fort – play your eight or ten minutes and don’t put us further behind”. Jason is capable of that role, and he can ease the transition for Bruno Caboclo, who’s our power forward of the future – we hope.