The Toronto Raptors did not extend a qualifying offer to Lucas Nogueira who is now an unrestricted free-agent. Should the Raptors still attempt to resign him?
The Toronto Raptors did not tender a qualifying offer to center Lucas Nogueira for the 2018-19 season, so the 25-year-old will hit the free agent market on July 1st. The Raptors have the option to attempt resigning him, but the team has a busy offseason ahead, and it’s unclear if they will make him a priority. Here is the case for, and against, resigning Nogueira.
The case for re-signing Bebe
Not much is expected out of third-string centres in the NBA, they just need to do a few things well, and a few other things not poorly. In Nogueira’s case, he is very tall, very long, and he uses his body well when setting picks for ball handlers.
He has also improved tremendously over the years with the Raptors and while in the D-League when it comes to rolling after those picks, and has developed chemistry with Kyle Lowry (and others) as the recipient of lob passes to the rim.
That’s about the extent of his value on offense, unless you include what he doesn’t do, which, in the NBA, is good to mention. He doesn’t take bad shots, turn the ball over at a high rate, or play outside of his abilities.
However, his defense is where his true potential has always been.
Good shot blockers need height paired with timing, and Nogueira has both. For a relatively young player, Nogueira has shown impressive instincts, and at times is the best rim protector on the court.
During his time with the Raptors, Nogueira has carried himself professionally while moving seamlessly between the D-League and the NBA, some nights playing zero minutes, other nights playing thirty. He is a young player who is low maintenance and has shown the ability to improve each season.
The Raptors need a cheap third center that they can call on in times of need when Jakob Poeltl and Jonas Valanciunas aren’t performing well or injured.
Although his ceiling is not very high, players like him are hard to come by.
The case for letting Bebe walk.
He’s never been integral to the Raptors’ success, and paying him would be a mistake. Nogueira may get offers from other teams this summer, and it will be tough to justify offering him more money the minimum.
In terms of a third center, Nogueira’s youth is a strike against him, since a veteran centre is usually more useful in this role.
Nogueira’s aforementioned strengths are assets, but the organization clearly doesn’t see him as someone who should be taking minutes away from Poeltl or Valanciunas, or replace either of them down the line.
Unfortunately for Nogueira, the Raptors aren’t in a position to offer him a chance to blossom into the player that he could be, and it might be time that he looks for that opportunity elsewhere.
He can, and does, play very well for short spurts, but he has trouble sustaining it over a full game, or multiple games, showing his lack of consistency.
He also has the chance of a disastrous game, such as game two of this past year’s playoffs against Washington, when Nogueira was a minus 19 in under 10 minutes of playing time.
If Nogueira receives any offers from teams that aren’t the Raptors this off-season, it’s hard to imagine Masai Ujiri spending his time, energy or money trying to keep him in Toronto.
Next: Hypothetical trade with every Eastern Conference team
Whether he ends up staying or leaving, Nogueira remains a testament to the organization; a young, raw product turned into a serviceable big-man on a winning team – not to mention, a fan favourite.