By the time that NBA Free Agency began on the eve of July 1st, the Toronto Raptors had essentially concluded their business for the summer. They filled out their roster largely during the NBA Draft through both picks and trades. Of all players, Garrett Temple was the only unrestricted free agent the team signed, giving them a full roster of players and then some heading toward training camp.
That doesn't mean the Raptors don't have work to do. They are locked into a standoff with Sasha Vezenkov, shopping Bruce Brown and deciding what other changes need to be made to the roster. Once the players are locked in comes decisions on the starting lineup, the bench rotation and how to manage their two-way players.
Let's look at what the Raptors did at each position this summer and what work is still to be done.
Point Guard:
Immanuel Quickley, Davion Mitchell, Jamal Shead, D.J. Carton
What Happened: The largest piece of business for the Raptors this offseason was re-signing point guard Immanuel Quickley, who hit restricted free agency after landing in Toronto via trade during the season. Rather than take things into July, the two sides worked out a new deal -- a five-year deal originally reported at $175 million over five seasons, but in actuality guaranteed for around $162 million.
Toronto then reshaped the stable of bench guards, picking up both Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead in a trade with the Sacramento Kings. Mitchell is a lockdown point-of-attack defender whose offense never came around in Sacramento, while the Raptors used the 45th pick in the draft on Houston guard Jamal Shead as a shockingly similar archetype of player.
What's Next: Quickley is entrenched as the starting point guard, but the role of backup will likely be determined in training camp and the preseason. Given the similarities between Mitchell and Shead, it's also possible that the Raptors include Mitchell in a trade and give the job to Shead if the right move presents itself. Otherwise, it may essentially be a coin-flip in deciding between the two by opening night.