The Toronto Raptors have been looking for center help all season long due to the poor production of Aron Baynes, and they might’ve just found an answer in the form of a native Canadian. With the Orlando Magic starting to rebuild, it looks like center Khem Birch, who was born in Montreal, has played his final game in blue and white.
The Magic traded Nikola Vucevic at the deadline, but getting Wendell Carter in return to go along with the presence of former top pick Mo Bamba left Birch without a ton of opportunities for playing time.
Birch, who bounced around between Pitt and UNLV in college, is in his fourth season with Orlando, averaging 5.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, both of which are career-best marks. Despite that production, the Magic don’t have a use for him anymore, and the Raptors are ready to pounce.
Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic are reporting that the Magic will waive Birch in order to get him more playing time. The Raptors are likely where he will end up, giving the Canadian a chance to compete for minutes right away.
The Orlando Magic are planning to waive center Khem Birch in order to give him an opportunity to play more, with the Toronto Raptors as his likely landing spot, sources tell me and @JoshuaBRobbins. Birch is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 8, 2021
How would Khem Birch fit with the Toronto Raptors?
Birch has started shooting from deep this year, but his 19% success rate shows he is not reliable from beyond the arc. His value lies in what he can bring to a club in the low post. Per 36 minutes, Birch is averaging 0.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
Birch, who has suited up for the Canadian national team in the past, might not have the best block numbers in the world, but the Magic were one of the best defensive teams in the league over the last few years, and Birch being able to body opposing bigs in the paint when Vucevic was on the bench was a huge reason why.
A 45% shooter despite most of his look coming inside, Birch might not be a huge offensive upgrade over Baynes. However, he is a much better rebounder, and that fatal flaw has killed Toronto this season. Birch will help rectify it in some form or fashion. If he plays well, he could even earn himself a spot on next year’s team as a backup.
Birch hasn’t put up the gaudiest numbers, nor does he have the most varied offensive game. However, considering how poorly Baynes has performed, Birch looks like an upgrade at the center position, and the Montreal native could be inclined to stay in his native country for the 2021-22 season if everything goes as planned.