The Toronto Raptors have remade their roster plenty over the last few years, as there are only a handful of players from the 2019 championship team still on the roster. Masai Ujiri better have held onto their phone numbers, as he might need to bring the band back together to paper over some of the cracks on this roster.
The squad is currently in need of some extra height, a point guard who can back up Fred VanVleet, and another guard that makes the perimeter defense even more robust. Be it through trade or free agency, Toronto has seen players with those skillsets leave the program in recent years.
Bringing in a new free agent is always a risky play due to the possibility of the player in question not assimilating into the culture. With regards to these players, Ujiri should feel comfortable knowing they can come right in and assert themselves as impactful rotation members.
We’ve already seen these three in Raptors jerseys before, and Ujiri might need to consider signing them again if Toronto is to make it back to the postseason without ending up in the play-in tournament. These three players could contribute to a playoff team if they returned to Toronto.
3 former Toronto Raptors who could return to Canada
3. Delon Wright, PG, Atlanta Hawks
The Raptors parted ways with Wright to bring in a ready-made championship piece in Marc Gasol. While Wright never became a high-level starter in Memphis, he’s continually bounced around the league while showing off his scoring skill over the last few years.
Wright was a consistent double-digit per-game scorer with the Kings and Pistons while providing some quality perimeter defense on the back of his gangly 6-5 frame. Still a good shooter after all these years, the time is ripe for a Wright return, given the state of the roster.
Delon Wright fits what the Toronto Raptors do.
While Wright was scoring at a reasonably impressive rate on some also-ran teams, he could only amass 4.4 points per game with the playoff-bound Hawks. Toronto will need to gamble on Wright’s efficiency, as it suggests that he should see his scoring jump up with some extra opportunities.
Malachi Flynn might be listed as the backup point guard at the moment, but the last few years likely have not endeared him to Raptors fans due to his inconsistent play. Wright would be a veteran addition that can come right in and make plays on both ends in Nick Nurse’s scheme.