The Toronto Raptors need shooting as badly as any team in the league, as a promising season was undercut and ruined by the fact they never found the consistency needed to beat teams in half-court situations. The lack of 3-pointers is what really did them in last year.
Gary Trent Jr. was excellent, and OG Anunoby couldn’t miss for a stretch in the season half of the season, but the damage had been done already. Toronto was already destined for a season of play-in hijinx, and they were condemned to go through the same struggles every night, like Sisyphus pushing his boulder.
How can they avoid a fate that commonly only befalls the most tragic of Greek stories? By being active in free agency. Even with many of the big names expected to return and command huge salaries, there is enough financial wiggle room for them to make some big additions.
These three players have all made their mark as high-end snipers in this league, even if it is to varying degrees of success. With one of them coming to Toronto, Masai Ujiri can rest assured knowing that he took a big step towards making this team competitive once again.
3 shooters the Toronto Raptors can sign in free agency.
3. Max Strus, Miami Heat
Strus is another “Heat Culture” All-Star who came from nowhere and has since showed that he is a worthy NBA rotation player for a team with eyes on a championship prize. Strus could bring his skills to Toronto if they meet his price and turn him into a valued member of the team’s bench.
Strus has shot just under 38% from 3-point range, including 41% in 2021-22. Strus is nowhere near as good as Trent right now, but he is on the same level as a 3-point shooter. With Trent likely in line for a bigger deal elsewhere, Strus stands out as the potential replacement.
The Toronto Raptors could sign Max Strus for cheap.
No one will mistake Strus for Jimmy Butler in terms of his defensive impact, and there is a question of how much he could add to his game at this stage of his career. Will paying a player with his skillset be the type of contract that comes back to haunt this franchise?
2. Seth Curry, Brooklyn Nets
Curry is old, a major defensive liability, and yet another undersized guard to add to the mix. Why on Earth would the Raptors ever consider bringing him into the fold? Because he can shoot, and no one can shoot quite like him on this roster. That’s how bad the offense has gotten in Toronto.
Curry, who is the son of former Raptor Dell Curry, is a career 43.5% shooter from 3-point range with multiple seasons of shooting 45% on his ledger. At the singular act of 3-point shooting, only his brother and a handful of others can claim to be better than him.
The Toronto Raptors need a player like Seth Curry.
Curry might be eyeing a championship ring at this stage of his career, meaning the Raptors will have tons of competition for him. However, Curry might need to take a cheaper “prove it” deal in order to show he is still a complete guard after an up-and-down season in Brooklyn.
Imagine if all of the Fred VanVleet desperate heaves and contested Trent shots with a few seconds left in the shot clock were allocated to Curry. Imagine how much better the spacing will be for Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes if Curry ends up coming to town.
1. Coby White, Chicago Bulls
The Raptors and White have been billed as a match worth examining for some time now, as he could give them the bench juice they need as he tries to rehabilitate his career. While last year in Chicago was a disappointment, White is a solid overall perimeter player.
White’s scoring has dropped in the last few years, but the fact that he has still made 38% of his 3-pointers shows that the dynamics on the Bulls’ roster made it difficult for him to really strut his stuff in the best way. Perhaps Toronto could help him change that.
The Toronto Raptors could look to add Coby White.
White not only fills the need for more shooting, but it would give the Raptors a legitimate Sixth Man and backup point guard, all in one package. The Bulls may not have had the best plan for him, but Toronto should be willing to let him go with the flow and get better.
At his best, White was a consistent scorer that was overshadowed by some lackluster teams. Going to Toronto might be what he needs to get his confidence back on a team that is looking to get much deeper and more exciting on offense.