The Toronto Raptors managed to hit a home run on the first day of free agency, as they were able to retain Chris Boucher and Thad Young on long-term contracts. Masai Ujiri immediately pivoted his attention to finding bench upgrades, culminating in luting Otto Porter Jr. away from the Golden State Warriors.
Porter is signing a two-year deal with Toronto, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The second-year comes in the form of a player option. Considering he is 6-8 with a 7-1 wingspan, Porter will fit in just fine with the Raptors’ ideology and desire for length.
Originally picked third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Wizards, the Georgetown alum never really reached his full potential in DC due to injuries. After bouncing around, Porter reinvented himself as a sharpshooting bench wing for a championship team. He even earned some starts in the NBA Finals.
For the Raptors, Porter represents a fairly substantial upgrade over wing players like Svi Mykhailiuk who were utilized last season. If he can stay healthy, Toronto may have picked up a perfect bench wing for their style of play. Winning a ring this year adds extra gravitas to Porter as a player.
Free agent Otto Porter Jr. — vital member of Golden State Warriors championship team — reached an agreement with the Toronto Raptors on a two-year deal with a player option, league sources tell @YahooSports. https://t.co/ck81fptKZh
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2022
The Toronto Raptors signed Otto Porter Jr. to a two-year contract.
In 63 games last year, Porter averaged 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while making 46% of his shots and 37% of his 3-pointers. Still only 29 years old, Porter played an essential role for the Warriors as a defender and shooter that thrived on Golden State’s much-hyped second unit.
Having averaged 10.6 points and 1.1 steals per game in his career, it’s easy to forget that a young Porter was quite the impressive two-way playmaker in his days with Washington. A career 40% 3-point shooter with multiple seasons over 42%, Porter can stroke it from deep.
It's a 1+1 (player option) or Otto Porter Jr. Culture fit, certainly the size fit, and some real floor spacing from a forward position.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) July 1, 2022
Still only 29, too.
Have to see the price but he's a nice get. https://t.co/NXoBszWDOt
The concern with Porter will be his health, as his 63 games played last year were the most he’s amassed since the 2017-18 season. Toronto seems to have protected themselves against that risk by giving him a much shorter deal than his numbers typically warrant.
Even though this roster has some championship holdovers, getting another player with his level of playoff experience will be great for a roster as young as this Toronto group. The Porter we saw in Golden State is precisely what Ujiri and Nick Nurse want out of their backups. Expect more shooting and consistency from the second unit.