3 Raptors that earned untouchable status, 4 that should be cut loose
Jalen McDaniels should be cut loose
The Toronto Raptors made a reasonable signing last summer when they brought on Jalen McDaniels on a two-year deal. A long, athletic wing with good defensive bona fides and a streaky shot is the kind of player you take a chance on because if the shot comes around they become a valuable rotation player.
Not only did his shot not come around, however, but McDaniels was one of the worst offensive players in the entire NBA. On the last slide, we referenced Gradey Dick's 3-point shooting after the All-Star Break; over that same stretch, McDaniels shot just 1-for-17 on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. When spoon-fed shots he couldn't hit the water from the boat.
McDaniels has another season left on his contract, and the Raptors may keep him around to see if he can rebound from last season. He will have to do it in practice, however, because the odds of him getting rotation minutes are extremely low. McDaniels may have effectively killed his NBA career last season, and the Raptors could dump him or waive him in response.
Bruce Brown should be cut loose
One more statistic from that post-All-Star Break stretch of games: in 20 appearances, veteran guard Bruce Brown had a team-worst -10.2 plus-minus; in other words, when Brown was on the court, the Raptors were outscored by 10.2 points per game.
Brown was supposed to be the steadying presence on the roster, the reigning champion who could connect lineups together with his defense and passing and stabilize a team that was both young and injured. Instead, when Brown stepped on the court, whatever lineup he was in fell apart.
Brown has a $23 million team option for next season. The Raptors cannot afford to bring him back next season on that number; they either need to have a trade worked out before his option date or they need to decline it and let him enter free agency. That is too much salary to lock up with a player who clearly doesn't fit with this roster, and the more he plays for Toronto next season, the lower his value is likely to go.