The Toronto Raptors have a roster logjam on their hands, which means that one of their veteran players could be sent away. After playing just eight games due to injury, free agent signing Otto Porter Jr. could be one of the unlucky souls who gets the boot out of town by Masai Ujiri.
The Raptors now have 15 fully guaranteed contracts on the roster, as Garrett Temple signed a one-year contract. Due to his contract and injury history, the Raptors might try to offload Porter in order to find someone who is either cheaper, healthier, or both (ideally).
The Raptors might need to get rid of one of either Porter or Thad Young, and OPJ might have a better chance of being a high-end contributor for a playoff team. After all, he is just one year removed from playing a very important role on a Warriors team that won a championship.
Despite the fact that Porter has been regarded as a large negative trade asset throughout his Raptors career, Toronto should still try to see if there are any takers out there for him. One of these three teams could be willing to flip a pick over to the Raptors for Porter.
3 teams who could trade for Raptors’ Otto Porter Jr.
3. Washington Wizards
Everything is for sale in Washington, as Michael Winger is willing to get rid of everything that isn’t nailed down as he tries to remake the squad in his own image. That desire could help them try to bring back Porter, a Georgetown alum picked No. 3 overall in 2013.
If the Raptors attach a second-round draft pick to Porter’s contract, they might be able to convince Washington to take him on. Porter can still shoot at a well above-average clip when healthy, and Davis Bertans being traded away last season helped create a hole that Porter could help fill.
Will the Washington Wizards get Otto Porter Jr?
Porter can still shoot and play multiple positions. While those traits are still things that Toronto could benefit from, it will be tough to envision a scenario in which they could give him rotation time without taking time away from Gradey Dick, Precious Achiuwa, or Jalen McDaniels.
The Wizards may not love to have Porter, but they would likely prioritize the draft pick. Getting a lottery ticket player like Porter, who could help stabilize the rotation and give some mentorship to what is still a very young team, might be worth an investment.