The NBA trade deadline has passed, and the Toronto Raptors were sellers. They parted ways with one of their most dominant scorers in Norman Powell, sending him to Portland for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood. The Raptors also shed bench players in Terence Davis and Matt Thomas.
The final year and a half of sharpshooter Matt Thomas’ three-year contract was dealt for a second-round draft pick from Utah. Davis, who is on an expiring contract, was dealt to Sacramento for a second-round pick.
The Raptors, who had too many underperforming guards/wingmen, deleted three while bringing back two. With the ten-day contract for Henry Ellenson not extended, the Raptors have two open roster spots.
Forward Gorgui Dieng at 6-10 was cut loose by the Memphis Grizzlies on March 26th and could’ve been claimed by the Raptors if the Spurs didn’t get to him first. Marquese Chriss was also expected to be waived by the Spurs. Be it over the next few days or during the offseason, this roster is undergoing a major facelift.
The Toronto Raptors will remake the roster very soon
The trade deadline deals do not make the Raptors a better team. Trent is a good defender and an improving talent, but he may be a year away from becoming what Powell was for the Raptors. It appears management’s goal was to ensure maximum cap space as Powell was sure to opt-out of his contract’s final year.
The Raptors will need to make a strong push in the final 25 games of the season to secure a playoff spot, but they are trying to do it with a roster littered with projects. Whether they make an eighth consecutive playoff appearance or not, here’s a look at three players who will not be a Raptor next season as Masai Ujiri looks to turn the page.
No. 1: C Aron Baynes
Baynes was signed in the off-season after the Raptors’ management low-balled Serge Ibaka in contract negotiations. In the ninth year of his career, Baynes has never played more than 22 minutes a game except for last season with the Phoenix Suns.
The expectation that he could adequately fill the starter role at the center position was misguided. Baynes has been an average backup center for most of his career, and he’s playing like that despite playing in a role that is vital to Nick Nurse’s philosophy on both sides of the ball.
Aron Baynes has been a huge disappointment for the Toronto Raptors
Now 34 years old, Baynes is averaging 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds and is a -9 on the season. It’s no wonder the Raptors are the NBA’s worst rebounding team and the third-worst scoring in the paint at 42 points per game. In the 41 games he has played as a Raptor, he has started in 29. but lately finds himself coming off the bench and averaging 18 minutes a game of playing time.
The deal that Baynes signed with the Toronto Raptors was a 1+1 deal with the second year a team option. With management saving cap space and Baynes’ poor performance, it is almost certain that the Raptors will decline the team option at $7.3 million on the Australian this summer.
No. 2: SF Rodney Hood
While trading Powell is upsetting to the Raptors fanbase, it gets worse when you realize that the two players returning in that deal may not be Raptors for very long. The Raptors have more control over Trent’s situation, as he is a RFA at the season’s end and can match any offer made to him.
In Rodney Hood’s case, he signed a two-year contract with Portland in the summer of 2019 worth $21 million, and next season’s salary is not guaranteed. This gives the Raptors a measure of control over Hood’s contract, and his addition to the roster is like an audition.
If he plays well, management could guarantee his contract for next season. However, he is trying this season to overcome an Achilles tendon tear suffered in December of 2019.
Will Rodney Hood improve with the Toronto Raptors?
Hood has managed to play in 38 games this season for Portland, but his production is even worse than his rookie season, which was decent when he averaged 8.7 points a game. This season he is averaging 4.7 points a game and is shooting 29.8 percent on the three-ball. His best season was 2017-18, when he averaged 14.7 points per game and shot 38.1 percent from deep.
2017-18 was also the year he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and, in a playoff game, upset his teammates when he refused to enter the fourth quarter of a playoff game. Oddly enough, that game was against the Raptors. He hasn’t really been the same player since.
Hood’s lack of production this season could be linked to overcoming the Achilles tendon issue from last season. His salary at over $10 million would be more manageable than Powell’s situation if you believe you can get a 28-year-old Hood healthy and focused on playing basketball.
At 6-8 and with the ability to hit threes and defend, the question becomes if Hood can play consistently? He will get 28 games in Toronto to prove which player he is. In his first three games as a Raptor, Hood has recorded 22 points.
No. 3: SG Patrick McCaw
McCaw was added as a free agent by the Raptors in January 2019, and it was a curious signing even then. His acquisition by Toronto allowed him to win the NBA title for the third consecutive year, as he was a member of the Golden State Warriors teams that won the title in 2017 and 2018.
However, it can be stated that McCaw was in the right place at the right time more than those three titles have anything to do with his play. When Raptors’ general manager, Bobby Webster, announced the re-signing of McCaw in the summer of 2019, he stated according to this article:
"“Patrick is a multi-dimensional player who brings a lot of skills to our team and can play a variety of positions,” said Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster. “We’re really glad to have him back.”"
Patrick McCaw never plays for the Toronto Raptors
If McCaw is a multi-dimensional player, the body of work that is McCaw’s career does not bear this out. Not every player can be a star, and not every valuable player’s worth to a team shows up as exceptional stats. McCaw, though hardly ever plays.
This season started with him on the injured list due to knee trouble, and he has only played in five games. He is once again listed as day to day with a knee problem.
In the Raptors championship season, McCaw played in 26 regular-season games and 11 of the 24 playoff games the Raptors participated in. Last season, He appeared in 37 games. McCaw stands six-foot-seven but weighs a very light 181 pounds meaning his versatility as a defender is limited to defending guards.
Further, his three-point shooting is mediocre, never rising above 33 percent in any of his five seasons, and he is a career 30.5 percent from deep. He is in the final year of his contract at $4 million, and the Raptors should probably part ways with McCaw.