Raptors' latest training camp addition checks every box they can't resist

The Toronto Raptors cannot help themselves.

In the dating world, people often talk about having a type and being into certain traits or physical attributes, and NBA front offices do too.

When you think about teams like the Boston Celtics, they love possession-extending floor spacers, the Detroit Pistons love tough, defensive-minded guys, and the Dallas Mavericks are all about 6-foot-9 forwards. The Toronto Raptors also have a type: defensive creators of chaos with offensive limitations. And they didn’t veer away from that with their latest camp invite, as HoopsHype's Mike Scotto reported Toronto has agreed to a deal with Andre Jackson Jr.

Now, obviously, at times the Raptors have hit on players like Scottie Barnes, who has become an incredible two-way forward, and they have players like Immanuel Quickley who are offense-first. But the foundation of the team between Collin Murray-Boyles and Barnes is built on the backs of defensively talented prospects that need to develop their offensive games.

That’s the exact approach they're taking with former Bucks wing Andre Jackson Jr., who entered the league and immediately earned respect for his elite defensive abilities. But by year three of his time in Milwaukee, Jackson Jr.'s offensive game hadn’t improved enough to justify playing as a full-time rotation piece.

The Raptors may be prepared to invest in Jackson Jr.

Jackson Jr. doesn’t just fit the Raptors organization's MO when it comes to being an elite defender, but he also fits their love for reclamation projects. Over the years, Toronto has built a reputation, similar to the Miami Heat but to a lesser extent, as a team that finds these underrated guys and develops them into high-level contributors in the NBA. That might be the goal with Jackson Jr., not just at training camp, but after that.

This signing feels different than your average training camp invite, with Toronto being out of two-way spots following the Trey Jemison signing; they only have standard roster spots open.

From my perspective, I view this move as a scenario where if Jackson Jr. brings the energy and compete he showed he can defensively in his three years and 172 games for the Bucks, he’ll get a contract. I’m not trying to overstate or exaggerate, but he is truly elite defensively, and if he can even just develop into a catch-and-shoot three-point shooter, he can be a really serviceable role player for this team.

Unlike someone like Nate Bittle, the Raptors have already seen Jackson Jr. play in a winning environment and have a role in those situations both in college with UConn and for the Bucks, which provides comfort.

Jackson Jr. can switch one through three comfortably, and depending on the size of the four at 6-foot-6, 209 pounds, he can hold his own and at least make them uncomfortable. He crashes the glass hard, is calculated in passing lanes, and knows how to park the bus and get a stop on the perimeter. If he can add a bit more to his offensive game than finishing, he can develop into a steal, and that likely holds a ton of interest for the Raptors.

The Raptors' comfort with developing players of Jackson Jr.’s archetype, combined with his established track record in winning environments, makes him more than just a camp invite. But first, he has to earn it in training camp.

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