The 3 most overpaid Toronto Raptors in the 2023-24 season

While the Toronto Raptors have generally done a solid job of avoiding financial issues in the last few years, that doesn’t mean they are infallible. Even with Masai Ujiri trying to stay out of the luxury tax and a few young players on rookie contracts, there are some nasty contracts on the books.

The Raptors may not be in as bad a shape as they were nearly a decade ago when DeMarre Carroll and Bismack Biyombo both ate up a ridiculous portion of the team’s cap room, but there are a few deals on the roster that Ujiri needs to either work around or rid themself of.

With Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. all free agents after this year, in tandem with Scottie Barnes likely being in line for a new deal relatively soon, every dollar will count. Trying to sign them without dipping into that dreaded tax range might prove difficult.

This roster has some ballast that needs to be removed relatively soon, with this trio of veteran players that face some serious competition for their spots in Darko Rajakovic’s rotation standing out as the three worst deals on the club.

3 most overpaid players on the Toronto Raptors roster.

3. Thad Young ($8 million)

Young has a solid gold career that has established him as one of the best veteran role players the league has seen in the last few decades. Having said that, the value he is providing to Toronto as a mentor is not worth the expensive salary that Masai Ujiri chose to guarantee.

Young was earning starts as a small ball center last season, but Nick Nurse abandoned that experiment after deciding to use a more traditional lineup. Even at the end of games, Young often found himself rooted to the bench. This isn’t a good use of the resources Toronto invested in him.

Thad Young isn’t contributing to the Toronto Raptors.

Young was acquired by giving up a first-round pick that eventually became Malaki Branham and could have been used on Walker Kessler. However, the fact that he was retained seems to suggest that the Raptors’ front office has some hope in Young and how he can lead to winning.

Between Young and the ancient Garrett Temple, Ujiri and the Raptors are making a massive bet on the idea that their sage veteran leadership could be the secret ingredient that makes a very young team start to gel. That might be a better avenue for Yougn to help this squad than what he could provide on the court.