Could recently waived Nets player join Raptors as backup PG?

The Toronto Raptors have most of their roster reportedly set in stone for the 2023-24 season, but there is still work to be done as they go about trying to build a team that can win in the short and long term. As such, the latest rumors have hinted that the Raptors are pursuing another backup point guard.

If the Raptors see fit not to guarantee the 2023-24 salary of Joe Wieskamp, they could get a head start on trying to vacuum up one of the few quality options left on the roster. The rival Brooklyn Nets may have inadvertently given the Raptors a low-cost alternative to someone like Ayo Dosunmu out there on the market.

In a situation not dissimilar to what Toronto is facing with Wieskamp, the Nets released point guard Edmond Sumner despite the fact he had been a somewhat reliable presence in the rotation for them following his Achilles injury. He likely will not be out of work very long.

The Raptors don’t have a ton of money to spend, so they need to find a guard who could play some extensive NBA-caliber minutes without breaking the bank. Sumner could check that box, as he has the physical tools Masai Ujiri often falls in love with.

https://twitter.com/EdmondSumner/status/1679984658367299584

Will the Toronto Raptors sign Edmond Sumner?

After Sumner missed his age-26 season with an Achilles tear following a solid season with the Pacers, he averaged 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in 53 games (12 starts) with the Nets. Sumner connected on a respectable 46% of his shots last season.

While not a tremendous 3-point shooter (just under 38% on 1.7 attempts per game in his last two seasons), he’s been able to take and make them when called upon. While he’s a bony, skinny player, his 6-4 height and long arms make him very intriguing from a defensive point of view.

Sumner would immediately be a better defender than either Malachi Flynn or Jeff Dowtin, and he has a longer history of being a serviceable bench scorer than either of those two. The injury history is troubling, but Toronto isn’t investing a ton in Sumner anyway.

Sumner represents a worthwhile dice roll for a Raptors team that is no stranger to taking castaways from rivals and seeing if they can thrive in Toronto. If his injury history manages to stay in the past and his finishing skill remains, Sumner could be exactly the type of backup guard this team is missing.