The Toronto Raptors will face some very important decisions at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, as they will see three-fifths of their starting lineup hit free agency. Trade target Pascal Siakam is one of the best names on the market, and Gary Trent Jr. could bolt, but OG Anunoby is also willing to test the waters.
Bringing him back will not be an inexpensive undertaking. The Raptors could pay Anunoby as much as $116 million over four years if they choose to extend him, which should be a fairly accurate depiction of what he could earn on the open market.
The Raptors will likely try to do everything in their power to retain Anunoby, but they must also prepare for a future in which OG bolts town and leaves the Raptors scrambling for a solid replacement. Toronto needs to look at one of these three players if they want to replace him without too much of a drop-off.
3 players who could replace OG Anunoby with the Toronto Raptors.
3. Jaden McDaniels
After the Raptors decided to use some of their leftover cap space on signing Jalen McDaniels, why not go after his brother as well? Both of the versatile forwards can defend well, but younger brother Jaden is clearly the one with the higher offensive ceiling.
McDaniels, currently a member of former Raptors assistant Chris Finch’s Minnesota Timberwolves, might be pushed out due to financial reasons. Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert are eating up tons of money, which could prompt a bidding way for McDaniels in free agency.
Will Jaden McDaniels join the Toronto Raptors?
McDaniels will likely never be as good as Anunoby on either side of the ball, but the Raptors could let Anunoby go if they feel confident in a two-headed monster of Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes. McDaniels would help Toronto keep its structure intact without giving Anunoby a nine-figure deal.
McDaniels has proven to be a deadeye shooter who can operate as a complementary role player around heliocentric stars like Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota. If the McDaniels trial run with Jalen works out well, Jaden could be on his way to join him.
2. Tobias Harris
While Harris has become a bit of a mockery in recent years due to his expensive contract and subsequent failure to live up to it, Harris is still a damn fine scorer and shooter. With Philly likely to give Tyrese Maxey a big contract soon, they might not have the money needed to pay Harris.
Harris should consider joining an Anunoby-less Raptors, as he can still get a solid volume of shots up and help with the team’s spacing while getting a fresh start. Philadelphia has clearly soured on him, and he needs to rehabilitate his value on a short-term deal elsewhere.
Could the Toronto Raptors chase Tobias Harris?
Harris is a downgrade, but he is still a quality scorer who could benefit from a Mike Budenhozler-adjacent offense that Darko Rajakovic will likely run in Toronto. Harris, who would be 32 at the start of next season, likely won’t command a contract longer than three years.
If the Raptors and Harris can find a middle ground that pays him less than Anunoby’s AAV while giving him enough stability to be enticing, the two parties could come to an agreement. The lack of defense will be alarming, but there aren’t too many free agents who can match OG from a scoring perspective.
1. DeMar DeRozan
There’s no way this can happen, right? Well, DeRozan is still a well above-average scorer at the NBA level, and he is going to be a free agent after this season. The Bulls might be willing to blow everything up if they don’t end up making some positive in-roads, which could mean the end of DeRozan in Chicago.
While DeRozan is nowhere near the defender that Anunoby is, and the shooting will take another step backward, it will be hard for the Raptors to turn down a player (assuming there is some level of mutual interest) who has averaged 26.2 points per game during his two seasons with the Bulls.
Could the Toronto Raptors land DeMar DeRozan?
This is not purely a nostalgia signing, as DeRozan can still be a quality secondary scorer on a playoff team in this league. His age might knock his price down a bit, which could help them replace Anunoby’s points and shot attempts while accommodating deals for any combination of Barnes, Trent, and Siakam.
Giving the mid-range king in DeRozan will only add to the team’s spacing issues, and he might not be in Anunoby’s stratosphere as a defender, but scoring-challenged teams need to add scorers anyway they can. DeRozan’s Bulls tenure seems to suggest that he is aging quite gracefully.
Plus, it gets Diar DeRozan back on Toronto’s side!