With the NBA Draft lottery just days away, the Toronto Raptors will be another step closer to firming up their offseason game plan.
We’ve discussed at length the need for a big and how the Raptors’ positioning in the draft can help facilitate that. In a previous piece, we looked at a potential Plan B scenario if the Raptors don’t land their desired big man in the draft.
If Toronto fails to land the athletic rim-protector from Duke in Khaman Maluach, they may be poised to select a scoring guard. Likely options could include another Duke product in Kon Knueppel or Texas bucket-getter Tre Johnson.
But enough speculation.
We’ll just have to be patient and wait for the ping pong balls to fall where they may on Monday.
Regardless of who Toronto drafts, a trade could be on the horizon, especially if we’re keeping an eye on the luxury tax. If a center is at the top of the list, it would be interesting to see if Masai Ujiri could work out a sign-and-trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for Santi Aldama. He is a restricted free agent but it would be awesome to reunite him with head coach Darko Rajakovic.
The other option is addressing the center position via free agency.
Much like any other offseason, it’s important to manage expectations. Historically, the Raptors are not known to swing for the fences and land a big-name free agent. When looking at spotrac.com, the top big men in the open market are Myles Turner and Naz Reid. Neither feels like a realistic option for Toronto as they’ll both likely re-sign with their current squads.
Once we look past the top tier, names like Brook Lopez and Steven Adams surface.
While those could be serviceable back-up options, they don’t quite embody the youthful direction Toronto has been taking. It’s more likely that we see Brook Lopez retire than sign with the Raptors. It makes the most sense to build through the draft at this position.
Whether it’s Maluach or Queen, having a rookie center learn and develop under Jakob Poeltl would be the ideal approach. However, if the Raptors decide to target a shot-creator in the draft, which is another area of need, they will still need to strengthen their frontcourt.
4 backup center options for the Raptors to consider
Atlanta Hawks | Clint Capela
We’ll start with Clint Capela, as he’ll likely demand the most money out of this list. After a down year with the Hawks, Capela will likely be looking for a ticket in the range of $14 million. According to basketball-reference.com, he was down in almost every category and slid into a backup role in Atlanta behind Onyeka Okongwu.
The Raptors would likely bring Capela off the bench, which makes this signing the least probable. He’ll likely want to sign with a team that will slot him back in the starting center position.
This kind of already has Lakers written all over it, but if the Raptors could swing it, Capela provides the rim protection and rebounding they’re seeking. Not to mention, in the event of Jakob Poeltl missing time, he’d easily step into the starting lineup.
Los Angeles Lakers | Jaxson Hayes
Speaking of the Lakers, Jaxson Hayes would be an option the Raptors could eye in a backup capacity.
It is concerning to see how he completely fell out of LA’s rotation in the playoffs, but Coach JJ Redick’s decision to do so was a bit confusing itself. There’s a lot of use in pick and roll scenarios, and with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, his shot-blocking ability would be key for the Raptors, as he averaged just under a block a game last season.
Boston Celtics | Luke Kornet
As we go down the list, the names get less spicy.
Make no mistake, Kornet has carved out an important role for himself with the defending champs. He posted career highs in rebounds and assists this season with the Celtics, likely due to seeing more minutes than ever before.
Kornet doesn’t quite bring the rim protection or the elite rebounding the Raptors are in search of, but he does shoot the ball efficiently (.668 EFG%). At a veteran minimum salary of just over $2 million, Luke Kornet would do the trick as a cost-effective depth piece.
Detroit Pistons | Paul Reed
Another affordable option that could slide in with Jonathan Mogbo off the bench is Paul Reed.
Raptors fans are familiar with Reed's game, with his time spent on the 76ers, he saw his minutes go down after joining Detroit this season.
He did manage to play some meaningful time off the bench in the Pistons’ series against the Knicks and has proven himself as an energetic rebounder on both ends. He also has some shot-blocking upside, which bodes well for Reed’s free agency value. While more of a forward/center combo, there could be a fit in Toronto for the 6-foot-9 DePaul product.