Ranking 7 worst Raptors starters of the Kyle Lowry era

5. Greivis Vasquez

Vasquez was acquired from the Kings in December 2013 as part of the trade that ended Rudy Gay’s inefficient tenure in Toronto. Most thought it would be the Raptors taking a step back. They were 7-12 when the deal happened and had lost five of their last six games. Instead, they finished with 48 victories and third in the Eastern Conference standings.

Vasquez fit nicely backing up Kyle Lowry. He served as a secondary creator or spot-up shooter when they shared the floor and ran the second unit. The Raptors made the playoffs for the first time in six years, and Vasquez earned a new deal in free agency.

The 6’6 guard got a two-year contract worth $13 million that made him the 103rd highest-paid player in the NBA. It was starter’s money and tripled his salary. Vasquez only opened 29 games the following season and averaged 24.5 minutes per game as he was wildly inconsistent. His defense was subpar and his inefficiency left him with 0.066 win shares per 48 minutes with 0.100 being the league average.

The Toronto Raptors were lucky the Bucks were willing to vastly overpay for the point guard on the 2015 draft night. They got a second-round pick, which turned into Norman Powell, and a 2017 first-rounder in the deal.

That softened the blow, but Greivis Vasquez’s time in Toronto was head-scratching. He never worked as a starter next to Kyle Lowry, which meant the Raptors vastly overpaid in free agency.