3 free agents Raptors fans should be glad they passed on

2. Nerlens Noel, New York Knicks

Noel seemed like an ideal fit for the Raptors, as he was an elite defender and solid rebounder that could help Toronto’s issues in both of those areas. Not only has Noel been even worse on offense, but his defensive skills appear to be eroding as the Knicks start to decline on that end.

Noel’s steals and blocks numbers are both down, and his minutes per game have slightly declined. On offense, he is averaging a puny 3.6 points per game on 51% shooting. Even if his defense improved, one would have to be a DPOY contender to make up for that lack of production.

Nerlens Noel wouldn’t have helped the Toronto Raptors on offense.

Noel returned to the Knicks on a three-year, $27 million contract, while Khem Birch was brought to Toronto for just $7 million less over three years. While he has been hurt, Birch has proven to be a solid veteran addition on both ends with more offensive production than Noel.

While Toronto could stand to add a player who protects the rim like a former No. 1 recruit in Noel, forking over that much money to someone who is such a negative presence on that end of the floor wouldn’t be a move that most general managers would not subscribe too.