Could Raptors give Justin Champagnie NBA contract post-deadline?

The Toronto Raptors are dipping fully into their youth movement, as Masai Ujiri chose to construct a team with only one player (Goran Dragic) that is older than 30. One player that has earned a promotion into the rotation of late has been undrafted free agent Justin Champagnie.

The former Pitt star was signed to a two-way contract after a very impressive college career, but he was originally cast in with the ranks of Raptors 905 due to some concerns about his ability to be a consistent threat as a shooter. Even with that question, Champagnie has become a fan favorite.

Champagnie has crossed double-digits in a single game in points and rebounds over the last few weeks, with his penchant for hoovering up offensive boards helping contribute to Toronto’s league-best effort in that area. Champagnie is trying to earn a more permanent NBA contract, and a path to that deal could materialize after the deadline.

With the Raptors just inches away from the luxury tax, a trade deadline deal that boots Dragic and his salary out of town might open up more cap space. That 15th spot on the roster will finally be filled by Champagnie, who has earned it with his standout play.

The Toronto Raptors should try to sign Justin Champagnie.

Champagnie’s best trait at the moment is his nonstop motor, which has helped someone who is 6-6 and slightly over 200 pounds become one of the most willing and able rebounders on this team. This isn’t just small sample size production. He’s genuinely beefing up a team that ranks as one of the league’s worst on the glass.

At a time when David Johnson seems to be running on a treadmill in the G League and Dalano Banton only saw his exclusion from the rotation lineup end over the last few days, Champagnie was playing so well that he was entrusted to eat up minutes when Nick Nurse was dropping to an eight-man rotation.

Champagnie might not be an amazing shooter just yet, but his efficient percentages show that he’s making strides in this area. Some doubters might claim he is not worthy of a pro contract, but the fact that he’s been able to get rotation time over established NBA veterans like Svi Mykhailiuk is a very intriguing sight.

Champagnie has been just about everything Toronto could’ve hoped for out of a lottery ticket undrafted free agent. Tabbing him for a career similar to Fred VanVleet is a bit unreasonable, but it looks like Champagnie will be a part of this team’s fabric heading into next season.