The Toronto Raptors are entering a season of evaluation.
They need to see what level their young core is playing at. Is Scottie Barnes a superstar? How good is Immanuel Quickley in a full-time larger role? Moving down the roster, young up-and-comers like Gradey Dick have a chance to prove their worth.
Some players, however, don't have much of a part to play. They are not a part of the team's future and not good enough to make a difference in the present. They are, essentially, pointless to have on the roster.
Let's look at three such players and explore why the Raptors don't need them.
No. 3: Ochai Agbaji
It's difficult not to feel like one is beating up on a player like Ochai Agbaji, who is overwhelmingly underperforming his draft stock and quickly looking like a player who doesn't deserve an NBA roster spot. Until he is officially no longer in the league, or until he plays light years better than he has to this point in his career, the reality is that he will continue to be critically analyzed.
Ochai Agbaji was drafted 14th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft on the back of a dominant senior season at Kansas, one where he shot the lights out and won the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, but the shooting accuracy was a one-year aberration; he shot poorly from outside earlier in his college career, and since entering the NBA he has hit only 32.6 percent from deep, including 21.7 percent in Toronto last season.
For Agbaji to make it in the league, he has to shoot better, and he has to become a truly special defender. Neither of those seems likely to be coming. On a roster with a plethora of shooting guards, the Raptors simply don't need Agbaji. Unless he takes a massive step forward, the third-year wing is pointless on this roster.
No. 2: Chris Boucher
The Toronto Raptors are uncomfortably thin at backup center, and given that Jakob Poeltl is both not the kind of player who can average 38 minutes per game and has a track record of injuries, it would seem like the Raptors need every big possible on the roster to help fill that roll.
The problem is that Chris Boucher is not the answer to that need. He has been steadily declining over the past few seasons as his athleticism has waned, and his shot hasn't been there for a long time. Coming off of a knee injury, Boucher is highly unlikely to privide the Raptors with productive minutes.
With that being the case, they would be much better served giving those minutes to rookies like Branden Carlson or Ulrich Chomche. Both are likely overmatched as rotation players in the NBA right now, but at least their terrible minutes would gain them valuable experience.
The Raptors would have been much better off finding a trade partner for Boucher (perhaps they still will) and then signing a center in free agency to compete for the role. Brune Fernando enters training camp on a non-guaranteed contract to do just that. Boucher isn't needed on this roster and isn't up to the task of a rotation role, so he is pointless right now.
No. 1: Davion Mitchell
Davion Mitchell at face value does not belong on this list. He was a highly-heralded lottery pick of his own in 2021 and has made an NBA impact with the Sacramento Kings, even if they ultimately decided to move in a different direction.
The Raptors added him this summer to serve as the backup point guard and help to inject life into their point-of-attack defense. The player nicknamed "Off Night" for what he does to opposing guards has a very defined role on this year's Raptors' team. So why include him on this list?
The Raptors used the draft pick they received in the Mitchell trade to draft another similar player, Houston guard Jamal Shead. He likewise is a college star bringing elite defensive chops and reasonable playmaking ability to the league.
The Raptors are not competing for a title this season, and once they are, they won't be playing Davion Mitchell. He's a one-year stopgap for a team that doesn't need one, because they just drafted the same player in Shead. He is younger, cheaper, and has upside that MItchell has not shown. Davion is not a difference-maker; the Raptors should explore the small possibility that Jamal is.
In the context of the Raptors' roster rebuilding and current timeline, and given that they drafted his replacement already, Davion Mitchell is essentially pointless on this roster.