With Kawhi Leonard officially a Toronto Raptor, it’s time for Canada’s lone NBA franchise to start finalizing its roster ahead of training camp. Toronto has two open standard roster spots. While it’s fair to assume one of those openings will be for one of Nimari Burnett, Nate Bittle, and Andre Jackson Jr. to earn at camp, the other one is a mystery.
Unfortunately, two ideal candidates for one of Toronto’s final roster spots just signed with the New York Knicks: John Konchar and Drew Eubanks.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Konchar agreed to a one-year deal with the Knicks, and SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Eubanks is signing with the Knicks on a camp deal.
Both players could have been strong depth adds for Bobby Webster, but instead they are heading to the reigning NBA Champions and an Eastern Conference rival.
The Knicks hit the Raptors with a double whammy
Marc Stein originally reported that the Raptors had shown interest in Konchar, and it made sense given the obvious connection he shares with head coach Darko Rajakovic. Before becoming the lead man in Toronto, Rajakovic was a development-focused assistant with the Memphis Grizzlies and worked closely with Konchar for three years. There, he helped Konchar blossom from an undrafted free agent into a solid three-and-D rotational piece who has now carved out a soon-to-be eight-year NBA career.
While he isn’t the ball-handler or lead-guard type Toronto should have been targeting, he’s a winner and can provide value as a floor spacer. Unfortunately for the Raptors, and the two other teams linked to Konchar—the Magic and Heat—the Knicks stepped in and ruined the fun for everyone else.
The defending champs now get stronger, adding a 31-year-old with career averages of 4.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 stocks (steals plus blocks) while shooting 34.9 percent from three.
Although missing out on Eubanks may not seem as drastic as not landing Konchar, he does play a position Toronto is much thinner at. Unlike Konchar, who can play the two, three, and even one depending on who’s on the court, Eubanks would’ve had a clear role as the third-string center.
Eubanks isn’t some crafty big man, but he is capable and gets the job done. He’s strong in the pick-and-roll, finishes well above the rim, and is a low-mistake player on offense. Last season he appeared in 42 games for the Sacramento Kings, averaging 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 59.6 percent from the field. He could’ve been a good play-finishing big to go to when Jakob Poeltl or Collin Murray-Boyles was out of the lineup, as he finished in the 90th percentile in rim scoring efficiency, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Given that he’s entering his ninth NBA season, the Raptors should have been more than comfortable giving him a guaranteed standard contract. Instead, he is going to the Knicks with no guarantee, but rather the opportunity to compete for a spot.
I understand it may have been hard to stay on the ball after the last two months of the Kawhi Leonard saga. But watching two players who could’ve filled needs and been good fits with your team go to a conference rival and the defending champions is a major misstep by the Raptors front office.
Add us as a preferred source on Google