Toronto Raptors: What’s next after releasing Lorenzo Brown

The Toronto Raptors released Lorenzo Brown on Monday afternoon, clearing a second roster spot. What could this mean for Toronto’s future acquisitions?

Lorenzo Brown did everything he could to make the Toronto Raptors roster. He was a consummate professional, good teammate, and played hard every time he received the opportunity. Unfortunately, he just isn’t an NBA-level talent.

No disrespect to Brown. He’s about as good as a non-NBA player can be. He won the G-League MVP with the Raptors 905 last season and will likely go on to make plenty of money in Europe.

But each team is only given a finite number of roster spaces, and when you are competing for an NBA championship, being a good guy/teammate isn’t enough. Even players on the end of the roster can make a difference in a playoff series. Moving on from Brown was the right call.

What’s next for Toronto? They have a multitude of options they can pursue.

Promote Chris Boucher

Chris Boucher is currently signed on a two-way contract, meaning his NBA appearances are limited. Two-way players can spend a total of 45 days with their NBA affiliate. 45 total days, not 45 games. Days of rest and days of practice spent with the team count.

He’s been active for 10 of the last 11 games, and if the team wants to continue to use him at this pace, he’d likely need to be picked up soon.

Another factor in converting Boucher’s contract is the January 15th deadline for two-way contracts. If Boucher is converted, Toronto will have an additional two-way roster spot available. Making a decision after January 15th prevents the Raptors from using that space. Expect Boucher’s contract to be converted by January 15th or not at all.

Sign a veteran to a 10-day contract

Rather than promoting from within, Toronto can search for an outside hire. There are still multiple veterans with quality NBA experience who are searching for a midseason home.

If Toronto doesn’t feel comfortable offering a “Rest-of-Season” contract, they can always sign a player to a 10-day contract. Teams were allowed to utilize 10-day contracts starting January 5th. I’d be surprised if the Raptors doesn’t use one at some point this season.

10-day contracts are a valuable way for a team to “examine” a player prior to fully committing. You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it, would you?

Acquire a trade piece

As teams start to realize their true tanking destiny (I’m looking at you Phoenix and Washington), more veteran free-agents will become available on the trade market. Perhaps, someone like Vince Carter is a target?

With two roster spots available, the Raptors can take on up to three contracts in exchange for one, provided the money still works. Why does this matter? Well, if Toronto is interested in trading a player with a larger contract for a player with a smaller deal, the two additional spaces would allow the Raptors to eat dead money without cutting anyone currently on the roster.

An example (I AM NOT SUGGESTING THIS DEAL. THIS IS TO SHOW HOW THE NUMBERS WORK):

If Toronto wanted to trade C.J. Miles for Tomas Satoransky, they couldn’t. If Toronto wanted to trade C.J. Miles for Satoransky, Dwight Howard (to later be released), and Jeff Green, they could. With only 13 players currently on the roster, the Raptors have more flexibility for the time being.

Save money

It’s important to note that Toronto doesn’t need to acquire a player right now, and every day they don’t sign somebody, they save themselves a little bit of cheddar. The CBA only allows teams to have less than 14 players for a maximum of two weeks, so eventually, a decision will need to be made.

If the plan is to convert Boucher to a standard NBA contract, don’t expect anything prior to January 14th or 15th. If Toronto plans on bringing in a veteran, they might use the entire two weeks. Either way, don’t expect an immediate decision.

Lorenzo Brown was a fine Toronto Raptor, but a new roster spot opens an exciting wide-range of possibilities.