Garrett Temple played a very small on-court role for the Raptors this past season. He appeared in 22 games and averaged 3.3 minutes per game. He saw just two minutes of playoff action in the Raptors’ first win against the Cavaliers in Game 3 of their first-round series. Those numbers may seem insignificant, but on-court production isn’t why Temple was on the Raptors’ roster.
You don’t expect one of the oldest players in the NBA to play important minutes or take big shots—not everyone can defy the aging process quite like LeBron James has done, after all. The 40-year-old provided veteran leadership and experience on a relatively young team. Jakob Poeltl was the only rotational player who was 30 or older. Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter were all 24 or younger. Temple’s decade-plus of NBA experience was a welcome addition to the young core.
Others have taken notice of what Temple did in Toronto these past few seasons, and that recognition comes with a new opportunity for the veteran.
Marc Stein reported on July 3 that “Mavericks coach Dusty May is also pursuing Garrett Temple for a spot on his first NBA coaching staff in the event that the 16-year NBA veteran—who spent the past three seasons as a Toronto Raptor—elects to move into coaching.”
The Mavericks just recently hired a new head coach, and he still has to fill out his coaching staff.
Temple’s days on the Raptors’ roster may already be over
Whether Temple wants to become a coach in Dallas or not, his days as a player for the Raptors may be numbered anyway. With 35-year-old Kawhi Leonard back in town in exchange for unprotected first-round picks, the Raptors have put a lot of pressure on themselves to win and compete with the best teams in the league as soon as next season.
When that is the goal, you need players on your bench who can make a difference on the court. At 40 years old and after three seasons of rarely playing, Temple doesn’t offer that anymore. So, the Raptors may want to use the money his player salary would cost on someone who can contribute more if called upon in the wake of injuries. After trading for Leonard, the Raptors don’t exactly have the financial flexibility to build out the roster and give away a minimum salary to someone who’s not expected to contribute on the court.
But that doesn’t mean Temple’s time in Toronto has to be over if he’d like to stick around. He could fill basically the same role he played this past season as a member of the coaching staff. The players already know him, and head coach Darko Rajakovic obviously values his leadership and experience.
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