Sports
Blowout Loss Shows More Turnover Is Coming to Raptors Roster
There’s no sugarcoating it: The Toronto Raptors stink.
Frankly, it’s sort of understandable. The loss of Scottie Barnes earlier this month was the death blow for the team’s play-in chances. Any hope of a miraculous run evaporated when he fractured his hand. But these days, Toronto isn’t even competitive. The losses of Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley have left the roster entirely bereft of talent.
Take, for example, the lineup Toronto used to close out the first quarter in Wednesday’s 123-89 loss to the Sacramento Kings: Jahmi’us Ramsey, Jordan Nwora, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Jalen McDaniels, and Jontay Porter.
Yikes.
Maybe it’s worth taking a look at who from this hodgepodge roster will be back next year.
The Sure Things: Gradey Dick, Kelly Olynyk, and Ochai Agbaji
Gradey Dick, Kelly Olynyk, and Ochai Agbaji are the only players who played Wednesday that are essentially locks to be back with the organization next year. Ideally, none of those players will start on opening night next season, but it’s possible Dick and Agbaji vie for one starting guard spot. It shouldn’t happen, but it’s possible.
Dick just isn’t quite ready for starter’s minutes right now and it’s shown lately. The task of playing a full allotment of minutes this late in the season is too much to ask of a 20-year-old rookie. He looked overmatched again, finishing the night with 5 points on 1-for-8 shooting.
Olynyk will be a serviceable backup to Poeltl next season. Ideally, Toronto would have a younger developmental big in the fold, but that seems unlikely without frontcourt minutes to spare.
Agbaji is among Toronto’s best defensive guards at this point and for a Raptors team that’s so lacking in defensive-minded players, he’s going to be important moving forward. He needs to really work on his offense despite a relatively strong showing shooting 5-for-10 from the field with 13 points against the Kings.
Probably Back: Gary Trent Jr. and Jordan Nwora
Both Gary Trent Jr. and Jordan Nwora are heading into unrestricted free agency this summer and it seems more likely than not they’ll be back next season.
Trent’s status with the team has been tough to get a read on for years now, but the fact that Toronto didn’t move him at the trade deadline probably means the organization plans to re-sign him. It’s typically bad business to let players of his caliber walk for nothing in free agency and that should mean the 25-year-old is back.
If Trent, Dick, and Agbaji are all back, the Raptors will have a glut of guards next season without much depth in the wings. It’s not an ideal balance, but Nwora has shown enough offensive upside lately that he’s worth a flier this summer on a low-cost deal. He’ll have to work on his defense, but he’ll probably be back next season.
Unlikely to Return: Bruce Brown, Jalen McDaniels, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Jontay Porter, Mouhamadou Gueye, Jahmi’us Ramsey
Bruce Brown seems destined to be traded or cut this summer when Toronto could free up some salary cap flexibility by declining his team option. Ideally, the Raptors could find a trade partner after failing to move Brown at the trade deadline, but in the worst-case scenario, he can always be waived. He’s simply not worth the $23 million he’s owned next year.
Jalen McDaniels has $4.7 million guaranteed next season but that’s not enough to keep him around. He’s been out of the rotation — deservingly so — for most of the year and shouldn’t be back.
Freeman-Liberty has a non-guaranteed deal for next season and he’ll likely be with the team in training camp, but he hasn’t really shown enough to have a better than 50-50 shot to make the roster. Toronto will probably bring in some competition for Freeman-Liberty in the summer and it wouldn’t be surprising if someone new replaces him.
Jontay Porter, Mouhamadou Gueye, and Jahmi’us Ramsey are all free agents this summer or earlier in Ramsey’s case. None has done much to warrant much of a look next season. Porter showed flashes earlier this year but hasn’t been able to stay healthy and Gueye and Ramsey look like G League players and organization depth guys.
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