5 Free agents Toronto Raptors should avoid at all costs this summer

No. 4: Klay Thompson

One thing that the Toronto Raptors absolutely do need is shooting. Their best player, Scottie Barnes, is a low-volume 3-point shooter, and Jakob Poeltl doesn't shoot from 14 feet, let alone 24 feet. To balance those realities, the Raptors need to find ways to get 3-point shooting on the court.

They have a few options in-house to space the court, with rookie Gradey Dick likely to get a more prominent role next season and veteran stretch big Kelly Olynyk under contract for two more seasons. That shouldn't preclude the Raptors from looking to free agency as an avenue to add more shooting.

From a pure skillset standpoint, Klay Thompson would therefore fit like a glove. He can do enough shot creation to keep defenses honest but obviously thrives as an offball player, and his gravity would crack open defenses trying to wall off the paint from Barnes and Quickley. Even in his down seasons he is a high-volume 3-point shooter, and at his best he is nailing well over 40 percent of his longballs.

At his worst, however, Thompson is an aging wing who is now a mediocre defender and a much streakier shooter than he used to be. The degradation of his game after his two major leg injuries is understandable but complicates his value. The Raptors are also not ready to contend, so having a proven playoff performer is less valuable to them. If they use up the majority of their cap space on one non-star he is not helping them get anywhere significant.