Toronto Raptors: 4 best free agents to target at small forward

It has been over a week since the NBA Draft Lottery. And now that the Toronto Raptors will have the fourth pick, they will most likely pick either Jalen Green or Jalen Suggs. They could also pick Evan Mobley if he somehow drops at four or if the Raptors trade up.

Since they will most likely pick one of the two Jalens at the draft and signing a center in free agency plus re-signing Kyle Lowry, the next thing on their offseason to-do list should be adding a small forward.

Just a little side note, Kawhi Leonard, DeMar DeRozan, and Norman Powell are not on the list. I don’t see Leonard opting out of his contract because of his current injury. If he does opt-out, it’s because he’s most likely signing a long-term deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

DeRozan is a bit expensive to sign now and the Raptors will likely move on from Powell after trading him in March. Still, there are some solid additions that the Raptors could target if they have enough money.

Toronto Raptors small forward targets: Honorable Mentions

Despite his history of injuries, the Raptors should at least consider signing Otto Porter Jr. He’s not going to give you big stats, but his defense, three-point shooting, and his ability to go to the basket for a dunk will help the team a lot. Porter, along with OG Anunoby could be a one-two punch-like duo on the defensive end.

In the 61 games that he played last season, Stanley Johnson averaged 4.4 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 1.5 assists per game. In the last 3 games, he turned it on, averaging 24.6 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, and 4.3 assists per game while averaging 40.2 minutes during the last three games of the season.

Does this show that he’s improving and he’s capable to play more minutes on the court? With Pascal Siakam on the mend, Toronto may need to consider bringing him back on a cheap deal.

4. Kelly Oubre Jr.

Oubre is a solid scorer in this league. Last season, averaged 15.4 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game. He is only 25 years old, which means he still has plenty of room to grow as a player. Oubre Jr. fits with the team’s age average which is 26, and he will gel well with the Raptors’ style of play.

He also makes the team very versatile. Oubre can play the power forward position on some nights. His stats will most likely go down because there are four other players on the team who will be the team’s scoring options, but his production might take a dip with so many quality options around him.

Kelly Oubre could fill a role with the Raptors.

As long as he can efficient, the number of points shouldn’t matter to Oubre. He will be a great backup to Anunoby if the Raptors do not match the offer sheet that Trent Jr. could potentially receive from another team.

Oubre might be in line for a hefty payday, one so hefty that the Raptors might be scared away from him. However, if they can come up with the money, he could be the perfect player to come off the bench, score 15 points per game, and help Toronto’s offense once again rank among the best in the game.