3 Former Toronto Raptors the team could bring back in free agency
The Toronto Raptors had a quiet free agency, but that was not the case for former Raptors players out on the open market.
OG Anunoby signed a massive new deal, as did Pascal Siakam. DeMar DeRozan worked out a sign and trade to head back to his home state of California. Kyle Lowry is back with a contender, and Gary Trent Jr. just signed with one. Jonas Valanciunas secured a new three-year deal. Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn are on new deals.
A few Toronto alumni are still waiting for their landing spots, however, and that could mean a reunion is in store. Would any of three former Raptors still available in free agency make sense for the team to bring into training camp to compete for a roster spot? Let's take a look at three very different players and whether the Raptors should give them a shot.
No. 3: Oshae Brissett
We start with a name not known to most NBA fans, but someone who just won a ring as a part of the championship Boston Celtics. 6'7" Oshae Brissett played college basketball at Syracuse and went undrafted in 2019, signing a training camp deal with the Raptors and working his way onto the roster. After being waived, he went to Indiana on a ten-day contract and worked his way into a legitimate NBA contract and career, then spent this past season on the Celtics.
Brissett is a strong, high-motor defender, able to defend both forward positions and attack the glass on both offense and defense. He is also a wooden block on offense, with a 3-point shot that has completely evaporated since his breakout second season and a lack of playmaking or shot-making. His energy can help on the margins, but the reason Brissett can't secure a larger role is that his strong defense doesn't entirely make up for the offensive limitations.
The Raptors desperately need forwards, so bringing in Brissett would not be a terrible idea, but at 26 years old his development curve seems mostly complete, and they don't need to use a roster spot on an end-of-rotation forward; they need to invest in development projects with those final roster spots in hopes of finding a more reliable contributor.