3 players on the Raptors roster who won’t last the entire 2023-24 season
By Mike Luciano
2. Malachi Flynn
Why is Flynn on the roster right now? Does Ujiri really think he’s suddenly going to become Magic Johnson? Why would Flynn, who is entering his fourth NBA season as a seldom-used backup, want to come back to Toronto instead of getting a fresh start elsewhere?
On top of the fact that Scottie Barnes will likely take over a bigger role as a ball-handler this season and FIBA legend Dennis Schroder was signed to be a high-end backup that supercharges the bench, names like Jeff Dowtin and Markquis Nowell can’t be discounted as competition for Flynn.
The Toronto Raptors might get rid of Malachi Flynn.
In order for Flynn to carve out a long-term role with the Raptors, he would need to not only beat out Dowtin and Nowell in the preseason, but play so well that Darko Rajakovic is forced to either expand the rotation to include him or drop a more established player.
Flynn can be a scorer worth a damn if he fixes the questions with his efficiency, and his ability to make incisive passes (when he’s in a groove) is worthy of praise. However, if he fails to take a step forward, Toronto might need to consider finally pulling the rip cord.