The Raptors need more guard play. Immanuel Quickley’s injury exposed their lack of depth at that position this past season. They chose not to do it in the draft—the top guards were already gone by the time the Raptors picked at number 19 anyway. They selected Allen Graves, a big forward who can make defensive plays and space the floor, if his shot translates to the NBA, instead. But picking Graves actually creates an opportunity for the Raptors to go out and get some guard help in free agency.
With so many players already locked into big long-term contracts, the Raptors’ options in free agency are limited this year. Before the draft, the most likely outcome seemed that they would trade Gradey Dick to free up the money necessary to re-sign Sandro Mamukelashvili, who can decline a player option to become a free agent and cash in on the pay raise he earned in his first season with the Raptors.
With Graves in the mix, re-signing Mamukelashvili isn’t a priority anymore. Mamu was key to the Raptors’ regular-season success because he was a steady bench contributor and was the only big in the rotation who could space the floor. Ideally, Graves can play that exact role with more defensive potential and a cheaper contract. That, in turn, gives the Raptors an opportunity to sign a guard in free agency instead.
The Raptors shouldn’t undervalue guard play
Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead were good for the Raptors this season. Quickley fueled an often-struggling offense and was one of the best volume 3-point shooters on the team. Shead stepped up big as a playmaker when Quickley went down with a hamstring issue and made winning defensive plays in the playoffs. Scottie Barnes’s playmaking ability also covered some of the Raptors’ deficiencies in the backcourt.
Still, adding one more capable guard who can score, space the floor, and create offense for others to the rotation could make all the difference for the Raptors, even if they don’t land a star, like Jamal Murray or Donovan Mitchell, via trade this summer.
They have Alijah Martin, who averaged 4.3 assists and 37.8% shooting from three during the G League regular season, and A.J Lawson, who averaged 20.8 points on 46.2% shooting from the field and 37.2% from three with the Raptors 905, waiting in the wings. However, they may not be ready to contribute to a team that’s hoping to move past the first round of the playoffs quite yet.
So, seeing if they can get someone like Coby White in free agency could pay off in a big way offensively.
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