Should Raptors have considered a Freddie Gillespie return?

The Toronto Raptors let six players on non-guaranteed contracts battle it out for one of their roster spots, and one of the players involved in that scramble was Freddie Gillespie. The Baylor alum joined Toronto last year in Tampa after injuries decimated their frontcourt.

While he did bring rebounding and energy, Gillespie was not only substandard on the offensive end during Summer League and preseason play, but he was a huge negative. He averaged just 1.0 points per game on 33% shooting in the preseason, which was enough to convince Nick Nurse to pull the plug.

After going back down to the G League and proving his quality in that circuit once again, the COVID-19 pandemic has given Gillespie another opportunity to break into the pros. With many key contributors in the health and safety protocols, the Orlando Magic added Gillespie.

The Magic signed Gillespie to a 10-day contract thanks to the hardship exemption. With the Raptors now saddled with two players in the protocol thanks to Pascal Siakam and Dalano Banton, were they beaten to the punch by Orlando? Could Gillespie have helped them?

Should the Toronto Raptors have signed Freddie Gillespie?

At this point, there’s enough film on Gillespie to confirm that he is never going to be an above-average offensive player. Toronto knows that he brings energy and glass-cleaning to the table, and that familiarity could’ve helped ease the possibility of playing without Siakam or Banton for a brief period.

While short contracts are meant to fill a roster spot above all else, bringing in someone with knowledge of the offense could help limit the time spent on instruction. Even if it was just for a few games, Gillespie would have an edge over some of the other players Toronto could look to bring in by being able to quickly pick up the schemes.

Toronto’s center depth chart is currently manned by the undersized and inactive Siakam, a veteran with health issues in Khem Birch, a struggling youngster in Precious Achiuwa, and a player in Chris Boucher who was unplayable for large chunks of the season. Bringing Gillespie back may not have been the worst idea in the world.

At the very least, Raptors fans can be happy that Gillespie managed to work his way back to the pros. With Ish Wainright signed to a championship contender in Phoenix, Gillespie will get yet another shot to prove his quality for a young, rebuilding Orlando team.