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

No. 3: D'Angelo Russell

Immanuel Quickley thrived in New York playing alongside another point guard, in that case Jalen Brunson, so it is not out of the question that if the Toronto Raptors determine that the best player available to them is a point guard they pull the trigger and figure out the rotation later.

D'Angelo Russell could hit the free agent market this summer and walk away from a Los Angeles Lakers team with eyes on trading for a big name point guard to replace him. Russell was on fire down the stretch of the season, propelling the Lakers to a 47-35 record. He shot 41.5 percent from deep on a robust 7.2 attempts per game, averaged 6.3 assists despite playing alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves, and would bring a veteran presence to the Raptors' backcourt.

There are a number of problems with using a significant amount of cap space to sign Russell, however, and they are more than simply the defensive fit of Russell and Quickley. That is certainly terrible, with Russell wildly inconsistent with his effort and execution. Quickley is a much better defender than Russell, but together they would create a target for opposing offenses as a small backcourt with no true lockdown option.

More so, Russell has proven that he is not a winning player, turning the ball over, taking bad shots and looking lost on defense in key moments. While he got hot from 3-point range this year, he shot just 49.7 percent from 2-point range, and on a Raptors team somewhat starved for shooting he would need to be able to finish inside.

The Raptors have committed to Immanuel Quickley as their point guard of the future, at least for now. They shouldn't do anything to muddy the path ahead for him as he proves his worth to the franchise.