3 Bargain free agents the Toronto Raptors missed out on this summer
The Toronto Raptors looked at the free agency landscape this summer, with the option to open up a significant amount of cap space, and pulled the eject lever.
As the teams around them made move after move, the Raptors did not add a single new player in free agency to a guaranteed contract. They re-signed Immanuel Quickley and Garrett Temple, and brought in a few fliers to compete in training camp, but otherwise completely opted out of free agency.
That conservative approach prevented the Raptors from committing future money for win-now help as they go through a roster retooling, further burdening their salary sheet that is already heavy laden with contracts moving forward. It also meant they missed out on the bargains available on the market.
As the Raptors prepare for a season with a roster packed with shooting guards and bigs and precious little forward depth, could they have addressed their roster's needs in free agency? Let's look at three players who signed bargain deals this summer that the Raptors should have made a move to sign.
No. 3: Naji Marshall
Thinking about which free agents that the Raptors should have signed is not as simple as finding the best value contracts from this summer. Many players take into account a team's standing in the league -- i.e. can they compete for a championship -- and where the team is located. Tyus Jones was a steal on a minimum for the Phoenix Suns, but he wasn't going to sign the same deal to back up Immanuel Quickley in Canada on a team likely not making the playoffs.
At some point, however, the money comes to play, and that could have been the case with Naji Marshall. After fighting his way from undrafted to rotation wing on a playoff team, Marshall hit a roster crunch on the New Orleans Pelicans and was available on the open market. He signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks.
Toronto can't offer the playoff stage and championship upside of Dallas, but they could have offered more money and an equally large role. Marshall has grown as a shooter and is a rugged defender and savvy cutter, and at 26 has plenty of prime remaining. With the entire Mid-Level Exception available to them the Raptors could have bid more than the Mavericks and perhaps convinced the New Jersey native to head up north.