The Toronto Raptors did what the fanbase had been begging them to do heading into the 2026 offseason: make a big splash, and they did exactly that with the Kawhi Leonard trade.
This deal propels Toronto back into that exclusive club of NBA contenders. While the vibe around the Raptors and Toronto in general is incredibly high, there are some concerns with this Leonard deal. Mainly, the financial constraints put on filling out the rest of this.
Thankfully for Bobby Webster, Charles Bassey is an incredibly overlooked center on the open market that could be cost-effective and effective on the court. Bassey has bounced around the league and struggled to find a real home, which still surprises me, as I view him as the prototypical backup center in the NBA. Bassey has a high motor, elite rebounding instincts, and the ability to protect the rim.
The Raptors organization loves a good reclamation project, so why not take a swing on a 25-year-old center who could be a perfect fit off the bench for head coach Darko Rajakovic?
Bassey could be perfect for the Raptors
Bassey has bounced between Philadelphia, San Antonio, Memphis, Atlanta, Boston, and Golden State over his five-year NBA career. Bassey logged only 139 minutes last season across the Grizzlies, Celtics, Hawks, and Warriors, which means he lacks a large enough sample size to draw meaningful conclusions. But his track record prior is phenomenal.
In his 28 games with the Spurs in the 2024-25 season, he ranked in the 98th percentile in offensive rebounding percentage according to Cleaning the Glass. Bassey was only behind names like Steven Adams and Mitchell Robinson that season.
That type of rebounding ability is something the Raptors desperately need. Toronto finished in the bottom eight in rebounds per game and lost several games last season because of their inability to close out possessions with a rebound.
The way he crashes the basket and battles for rebounds is the type of high energy and competitiveness the Raptors desperately need with Jakob Poeltl as their primary center option. It’s not that Poeltl is a bad rebounder, but his health issues and age is starting to catch up to him, and having Bassey come in off the bench would be a nice change of pace.
Bassey is also a strong rim protector, ranking in the 98th percentile in block percentage according to Cleaning the Glass in 2024-25. He also averaged 3.1 blocks per game in his last season with Western Kentucky before forgoing his college eligibility and turning pro. On the offensive end, Bassey knows his strengths and sticks to them. He sets quality screens, rolls to the rim, catches lobs, and finishes plays while carrying a career 63.5 field goal percentage.
That’s all you can ask from a backup five-man if you’re the Raptors.
Toronto is in a tough place financially, and with the free-agent center market limited, Charles Bassey is a viable option for Bobby Webster. While Bassey doesn’t have an established pedigree in the league, options are limited for the Raptors, and Bassey presents a ton of upside.
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