The Toronto Raptors need to make some huge additions to the bedrock of this team, as they have enough cap space to pull off some moves that could get them back to the postseason after a year in the lottery due to their bad luck.
The Raptors were able to become one of the more consistent winners over the last decade because of how Masai Ujiri was able to supplement the schemes of Dwane Casey and Nick Nurse by making some robust signings in free agency. The Raptors have been a well-oiled machine on the back of that philosophy.
The Raptors should absolutely try to add players that could be a fit with what Nurse wants to do, even if their production may not necessarily make them the hottest ticket on the market. It wouldn’t be the first time Toronto beefed up their rotation by adopting this idea over the last few years.
If the Raptors identify 3 players that have these very specific skillsets, they could be ideal fits north of the border, making them integral parts of the Raptors’ rotation for the next few seasons.
The Toronto Raptors need to targets players with these 3 styles.
3. A forward with defensive versatility.
One of the more impressive feathers in the Raptors’ cap over the last couple of years has been their forward combination, as the combination of OG Anunoby shutting down the opponent’s best player and Pascal Siakam using his athletic ability to become one of the best two-way power forwards in the game.
However, Siakam will miss the next five months due to surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. The Raptors need to make a new addition in order to make sure Siakam’s injury doesn’t sink them in the first part of the season, and they need to make sure they add someone who won’t be a liability on defense.
Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has undergone surgery on his torn labrum. He’s expected to miss five months. pic.twitter.com/sgwsXsEgz8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 11, 2021
The Toronto Raptors need to add a solid defender.
The likes of Paul Millsap, a veteran defender with enough offensive skill to make him somewhat formidable, could make sense. Kelly Olynyk was never an unstoppable defender in his career, but his brief time in Houston showed that if Siakam is out for a long time, he could give them stability in the starting lineup.
The Raptors experimented with a smaller lineup at times this season, and it was enough to give them the short-term pop they needed to pull off a few wins before COVID-19 shut them down. Even if it’s just a cheap one-year deal, a bench player that can give the Raptors interior stability would do wonders.
2. A young guard.
The Raptors should try to reunite with Kyle Lowry, but that doesn’t change the fact that they could stand to add a better long-term option in the backcourt. Fred VanVleet and Malachi Flynn make for a promising start, but Toronto could still get younger and deeper in the backcourt with enough spending.
They could spend a plentiful sum of money on a guard like Evan Fournier or Tim Hardaway Jr. on the free agent market, as doing so could give them quite a fantastic backup plan if Lowry bolts for a contender. The draft might be a better way to go, however considering how lucky Toronto was in the lottery.
The Toronto Raptors need to get younger at guard.
It just so happens that the No. 4 pick could give Toronto their choice of two potential franchise cornerstones in the backcourt in two 6-5 standouts, G League stud Jalen Green and Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs. Green offers game-changing offensive potential, while Suggs can give the Raptors the defense and passing they need from their guards.
Failing to adequately replace a legend can set a franchise back immeasurably, and while VanVleet and Flynn will make this team respectable, they could use one more big name with some pizzazz. Suggs and/or Green would be an ideal fit, as would a free agent that can shoot the lights out from deep.
That trait will earn you plenty of brownie points from Nurse.
1. A rebounding center
This point has been belabored to the point of exhaustion, but the Raptors were slaughtered in the paint at times this season, and it took someone like Khem Birch to finally make Toronto appear as if they were not leaking coolant. Birch, an impending free agent, showed what this team can play like if they get the right big man.
A Raptors center must be a solid passer, tremendous rebounder, and persistent enough on defense to pester some of the elite centers they will face in their conference. There are some quick fixes that could be available on the free agent market.
The Raptors must address their lack of size.
Bringing Birch back is obviously a way to fix their rebounding shortage cheaply, but they could decide to do something a bit more audacious by going after a player like Richaun Holmes. He would be an instant starter right away, but they could try to use the draft as a way to find a new impact player if Evan Mobley falls to them.
The Raptors were beaten up routinely inside last year, even by teams that didn’t have star centers. Birch playing the best basketball of his career proved that even with an average big man, both sides of the ball took a massive step in the right direction. Imagine what could happen if they take a more proactive role in filling that void this offseason.