The Toronto Raptors‘ lack of bench depth bordered on the absurd last season. Nick Nurse was forced to use players like Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam in the second unit as point guards to get some semblance of scoring punch from that group. This can’t be the way things operate in 2022-23.
The Raptors don’t have tons of cap room to operate with, and they need to figure out how they are going to retain either Thad Young or Chris Boucher, but that shouldn’t stop Masai Ujiri from trying to find a point guard who can be an immediate contributor in Toronto.
No team in the league scored fewer points off the bench than Toronto last year, and the stagnation of Malachi Flynn is a huge reason as to why. A new backup could be in the cards, and Ujiri will have his pick of half a dozen quality candidates to choose from.
Toronto needs to come out swinging in free agency to get the top players on their wish list. While any backup guard that has proven themselves would be a very welcome relief, these three players (in ascending order of value) would stand out above most of the common rabble.
Should the Toronto Raptors acquire one of these shooting guards?
Good: Aaron Holiday
Holiday is a restricted free agent, meaning that Phoenix will have a leg up over all other teams who want to secure his services. Holiday became a part of the Suns’ rotation despite coming onto a team that already had Chris Paul and Cameron Payne installed as the point guard duo.
After a midseason trade away from Washington, Holiday averaged 6.8 points and 3.4 assists per game. Perhaps most impressively, Holiday connected on 44% of his 3-point attempts. At just 26 years old by the time next season starts, Holiday’s best basketball is ahead of him.
Aaron Holiday could grow with the Toronto Raptors.
Holiday has never been a tremendous scorer, and his 9.5 points per game with Indiana in 2019-20 has yet to be equaled. Luckily, he doesn’t need to be a featured option to carve out a role with Toronto. Holiday is a pesky defender and speedy athlete who will find ways to impact games in ways that go beyond the box score.
With Paul getting long in the teeth, Phoenix will try everything they can to keep him. However, with Deandre Ayton in line for a big deal, some sacrifices may need to be made. Holiday could be one of those cap casualties who comes to Toronto and steps on the gas pedal.