There have been rumblings about Sandro Mamukelashvili’s uncertain future with the Raptors for a while now. He vastly outplayed his current contract in the regular season and set himself up for a nice pay raise—either from the Raptors or another team.
He was a no-show in his first-ever playoff run, shooting just 28.6% from deep. However, that doesn’t erase the impact he had on the Raptors’ offense in the regular season with his 3-point shooting in the frontcourt and how important his presence could be if the Raptors go into next season with Jakob Poeltl and his struggle to stay healthy still at the starting center position.
The fear of losing Mamukelashvili in free agency is now more real than ever, as he is reportedly looking to explore his options.
“Sources say that the Raptors, amid Toronto’s ongoing trade conversations on various fronts, are bracing for big man Sandro Mamukelashvili to test the open market,” Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line on Saturday. “The Raptors hope to come to terms on a new deal with the Georgian forward before the marketplace opens, but Mamukelashvili is expected to have multiple suitors at a sizable portion of the full $15 million midlevel exception if he does not score a new deal from Toronto before Tuesday evening at 6 PM ET.”
If the Raptors cannot retain Mamukelashvili in free agency, their choice to draft Allen Graves 19th overall will be tested as soon as the season starts—unless they bring in a more veteran frontcourt player to replace him, of course.
Is Allen Graves ready to contribute immediately?
On paper, Allen Graves looks like the perfect replacement for Mamukelashvili. He shot a good percentage on 3-pointers in college, although on a relatively low volume, and comes with a reputation as a strong defender (unlike Mamukelashvili). There’s even an argument to be made that the Raptors should trust him to fill that role right away and chase a guard in free agency instead of re-signing Mamukelashvili.
The Raptors were spoiled with great rookie play last season. Collin Murray-Boyles was absolutely NBA-ready and went into the playoffs as if it were just any other game. Graves may not be that kind of difference-maker, but if the Raptors view him as Mamukelashvili’s replacement, he will have to find a way to make an impact right away.
The easiest avenue for him to do that would be defensively. Their defense is the backbone of the Raptors’ success. Contributing to that is a sure way to make an impact. The real question is whether his 3-point shot will translate in his first season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google