3 positive takeaways from the Raptors' latest loss that give hope for the future

2. Efficient night from Kelly Olynyk proved Raptors front office made the right call on contract extension

How about that K.O. man? The Canadian big man is proving to be more than effective in a starting role, given the injury absence of regular starter, Jakob Poeltl. Olynyk arguably had his best offensive game on the Raptors thus far, posting a stat line of 24 points on 69% field goal efficiency, going two of four on three-point shots, and recording six rebounds.

Flourishing in any role, Kelly Olynyk is the perfect seasoned vet to have on a rebuilding Raptors squad.

Many were curious to see Toronto make a 'buyer' type move at the recent trade deadline to acquire Kelly Olynyk from Utah. It soon became evident that the Raptors front office had a vision to bring in the Canadian to be their backup big for the future. Toronto was so committed to Kelly Olynyk, that the two parties agreed on an early two-year contract extension worth US $26.25M, as opposed to waiting in the off-season.

The Toronto Raptors may be in the midst of a rebuild focused on their young core, however, it never hurts to have a wily veteran like Kelly Olynyk on the roster. Olynyk is an impactful player and brings hustle every time he's on the court, and his ability to pass the ball for his size is worth every penny. For Toronto's front office to lock in on retaining K.O. for the foreseeable future, it certainly wasn't a foolish move by any stretch.