3 Toronto Raptors who might not last the entire 2024-25 season

No. 2: Davion Mitchell

The Sacramento Kings moved on from their recent lottery pick in Davion Mitchell in part because they needed room under the luxury tax to build out their roster, and in part because they had replaced him with first-round pick Devin Carter. Toronto was able to take him back as part of a home-run trade for the Raptors.

The reason that Davion Mitchell may not last the season with the team is that Toronto may have just done the same thing. They picked up the No. 45 pick in the Mitchell trade and used it on Houston guard Jamal Shead, who has a lot of the same skillset as Mitchell.

Shead is under contract for three seasons at an average salary of $2 million. If he proves himself worthy of the backup point guard spot from the jump, it would make Davion Mitchell somewhat superfluous on the team, and therefore much more financially savvy to move on from Mitchell, who is both more expensive in the present and due to get more expensive when he hits restricted free agency next summer.

The Raptors could find a team interested in re-signing Mitchell and move him there ahead of his free agency; Toronto just did that with Immanuel Quickley, but recently the Portland Trail Blazers did that by trading for Matisse Thybulle at the trade deadline immediately prior to his free agency, giving them matching rights and the ability to work out a deal.

If Shead is ready to go, Mitchell might be the next to leave.