The Toronto Raptors have found themselves mired on the fringes of the play-in tournament rather than challenging for 50 wins. This came as a result of unreasonably betting on the team’s core and making Otto Porter Jr. the team’s marquee offseason addition.
Porter was fresh off a season in which he helped the Golden State Warriors take home a championship, but the injury history that has consistently taken the former No. 3 overall pick off the path to success has reared its head again. Porter played in just eight uneventful games before a foot injury ended his season.
Toronto is both situated in a market that is historically very challenging to attract free agents to and right up against the luxury tax. The Raptors need to have a very high success rate when it comes to their free agent signing, and Porter is looking like quite the mess right now.
The Raptors would have been much better off using the money spent on Porter and funneling it toward one of these three veterans. Toronto would have gotten more short-term utility out of one of these names than Porter has provided in his abrupt debut.
These Toronto Raptors free agent targets would have outdone Otto Porter Jr.
3. Patty Mills, Brooklyn Nets
While Mills, who has a great relationship with Sean Marks, was likely not going to leave a Nets team that (in the preseason) thought to be a contender without getting paid above market value, the Australian point guard could have had his opinion changed if the Raptors came out swinging with a substantial offer from Masai Ujiri.
Mills may be averaging just 6.1 points and 1.4 assists per game, but the fact he is one year removed from a career-best scoring season crystallizes the fact that he would have been a much better backup point guard option than Malachi Flynn or Dalano Banton ended up being.
Patty Mills would have helped the Toronto Raptors.
While Porter would have undoubtedly been a boost to Toronto’s much-maligned perimeter shooting if he was healthy, he didn’t do much to alleviate the concerns surrounding Toronto’s fetish for 6-8 forwards. Mills would give them a different look.
When it comes time to select a player in the 2023 NBA Draft, Toronto may need to look for a player that can be as effective a shooter and leader as Mills. They had a chance to land the real thing in the offseason, but they ultimately opted to ride with the underperforming Flynn.
2. Delon Wright, Washington Wizards
If the Raptors saw fit to bring back Jakob Poeltl earlier in the trade deadline, they could have tried to make Wright their backup point guard before he signed with the Wizards. As he proved in Washington’s very contentious two-game series in DC, Wright can still be a legitimate nuisance thanks to some stifling on-ball defense.
Wright’s 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game are right in line with his career averages. What really stands out is the fact that he is averaging 2.2 steals per game, which would be enough to surpass OG Anunoby and lead the league if he was able to qualify.
Delon Wright would have been a boost for the Toronto Raptors.
Wright wouldn’t be the greatest scorer in the world, but it’s hard to find many players that would be a better scheme fit. A better finisher than Banton, a better defender than Flynn, and a much healthier player than Porter, Wright was a better use of funds.
The Wizards may have made a solid acquisition here, but there is a slight chance that Wright might be on the move again if they decide to use their first-round pick on a point guard and/or Johnny Davis starts to emerge. Toronto might get one more crack at him.
1. Donte DiVincenzo, Golden State Warriors
The Raptors would have avoided so much consternation and stress if they had been able to land a veteran guard that could handle the ball and shoot. Before joining Golden State, DiVincenzo appeared to check many of those moves without breaking the bank as most of the high-end free agent guards would have.
DiVinzenco is having one of the best seasons of his career, shooting 40% from 3-point range and ending up in double digits regularly. Having that sweet shot and improved handles on the Raptors would have bailed them out so many times this season.
The Toronto Raptors should have signed Donte DiVincenzo.
The Raptors did agree to a deal with veteran guard Will Barton, but his bringing 3-point shooting to the table at this point in the season might have been too little, too late. DiVincenzo is not only a better player at this point in his career, but he’s got a higher long-term ceiling.
DiVincenzo may not be available, but he is the type of player that Toronto needs. Trying to sign yet another forward will only lead to more internal consternation and fewer victories on the floor.