Free agency is looming and the Toronto Raptors have to start thinking who they’re going to add.
Bobby Portis certainly isn’t the fanciest name on the market, but he is a name the Toronto Raptors should consider in the offseason. Bobby Portis is currently on a two-year deal with the New York Knicks with the second year being a club-option that is expected to be declined by the team. This would make Bobby Portis an unrestricted free agent this upcoming free agency.
With Serge Ibaka searching for a lucrative deal and players like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Marc Gasol becoming free agents as well, the Raptors will need to fill out their frontcourt depth. Bobby Portis may not be a starter, but there’s no doubt that’d he be a good backup Power Forward or Center.
If the Knicks do decline Bobby Portis’ $15.75 million team option, then Portis will probably fall in the $7-8 million range. With the Raptors continually keeping Giannis on their minds for the 2021 season, I can see a slightly more lucrative deal ($9-10 million) as long as it’s a one year deal.
You might think I’m insane and that Portis isn’t worth a fraction of what I suggested. Well, I’m here to convince you otherwise.
Portis does what Nick Nurse loves: Shoots threes
This may come as a surprise but the Toronto Raptors and Nick Nurse run their team closest to the Houston Rockets. They have the second least amount of shot attempts in the mid-range with the majority of their shots coming from the rim and three. With Hollis-Jefferson, — their backup center last season — he only shot 52 percent around the rim and made 3 threes on 22 attempts.
Now if you add Bobby Portis, Nick Nurse gets a shooting big who in his last four seasons shot the three at league average, 36.9 percent. It may have regressed this season but that is mostly due to the Knicks reluctance to shoot threes — the lowest percentage of their shot selection was from three.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Knicks’ spacing was awful due to their lack of star power and just overall team shot selection. The reason Portis got $15 million, to begin with, was because he shot 41 percent from three on the Wizards in the 2018-2019 season. He was able to do that because of the pressure John Wall and Bradley Beal applied on offense resulting in a lot of open shots.
With Pascal Siakam and the Raptors fast-paced transition offense, there will be a lot more open threes available for Portis.
Gives Toronto Raptors a flexible weapon on the bench
Besides the top 7 on the Toronto Raptors roster, there’s a drastic fall in quality. Only Norman Powell and Serge Ibaka served as capable bench players in the playoffs while the rest of the team struggled to get any playing time. Although Portis won’t be a clear cut selection to get important minutes down the line, he can grow into one.
Portis is really good at two things: rebounding and three-point shooting. Nick Nurse has always excelled at making the most out of players and there’s no doubt he wouldn’t do the same here. Portis’s large frame can help him serve as a good screener and his ability to hit threes and finish at the rim will make defending him tricky as he has the flexibility to roll or pop after screens.
Portis’s ability to rebound is another weapon they’ll need, especially now when teams shoot more than ever. Portis is elite at boxing out and was among the league leaders in that department and as well as being a high energy guy, he will give the Raptors what they need on that end.
Portis’ poor defense can be fixed with the Toronto Raptors
This is the part where Portis may seem more like a liability than an asset. Portis has always struggled on defense and his lack of athleticism doesn’t help. But there is another thing that never helped his case. Portis hasn’t played for a team with good defense since the 2016-2017 season where the Chicago Bulls ranked fifth in defensive rating.
In the last three years, Portis has been part of teams that have been in the bottom 10 in Defensive Rating. Being part of a system that places heavy prioritization on defense will at least make Portis a competent defender. He has the size and ability to at least defend low usage centers like the Jarrett Allen’s and the Javale McGee’s of the league.
He is also mobile enough to be part of the Raptors high switch defense. He has all the energy in the world and with enough games as a Raptor, he should be able to be a somewhat capable defender in Nurse’s system. There will always be some games where teams might focus him on offense, but more often than not, Portis should be fine enough on defense, at least in the regular season.
Bobby Portis will finally play for a competent franchise
The Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and New York Knicks. Those are the teams’ Bobby Portis has played for. Three pretty bad organizations who have failed to do anything well in the past few years — or 20 years if you’re the Knicks. Now if he played with a competent franchise like the Raptors, then things might change drastically for him.
Portis will finally know the feeling of what it feels to be part of a winning organization which can make all the difference in a player like Portis. Portis may not be used as an isolation scorer like he was on the other teams, but he’ll be used to his strengths instead.
Portis has always been a high usage player everywhere he’s been, posting over 20 percent in each of his last three seasons. With the Toronto Raptors, his usage rate would be nowhere near that, hovering around the 12-15 percent area. He’ll be the solid bench guy who will serve as a screener, three-point shooter, and rebounder. All things he’d be great at in a minimized role.
If the Raptors do as expected and stay passive this upcoming free agency, signing a not so fancy name like Bobby Portis for a short-term deal might be worth it. It’ll give them the bench depth they need and wouldn’t be that much a risk knowing Portis can excel in what Nick Nurse loves. Oh and he’ll also be in a contract year, so you already know he’ll be playing that much harder to secure the bag.