Does Magic match Bamba’s offer?

The Toronto Raptors seem to be in a relatively strong position, as the NBA’s free agents are set to start Thursday at 6 pm EST.

This year was expected to be a down year after going 48-34 in the blessed 2021-22 campaign and finishing fifth at the Eastern Conference, but the development year was a very successful year, Fred. Emphasized by VanVleet’s first All-Star. Nodding, Pascal Siakam has returned to All-NBA status and Scottie Barnes has established himself as one of the game’s most illustrious young talents in the Rookie of the Year campaign.

These positive steps have made the Raptors off-season quite comfortable.
The team has a talented core consisting of VanVleet, Siakam, Barnes, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Precious Achiuwa, all locked at least until the end of next season. And in last week’s NBA Draft, the club chose Arizona’s Junior Christian Koloko to try to address some of the needs of the backup center.

Still, just because Raptor is in a good place at the moment doesn’t mean they can’t get better, but they can certainly seem to improve themselves during free agents.

Despite last season’s Achiuwa steps and Koroko’s draft, the center is still a necessary area that the Raptors would want to consider strengthening. Moreover, given all the playmaking offered by Siakam and Burns, the Raptors don’t have many consistent targets to kick out and pay for defense to destroy them with paint. Find a spot-up shooter-or a reliable 3D wing can help.

Finally, the Raptors may want to go looking for a suitable backup point guard or shot creator who can play with the second unit. The pain on the Toronto bench was well documented last season, mainly because there was no guy in those secondary and tertiary looks who could get the team involved in the attack or make something for themselves. .. Malachi Flynn and Darano Banton have occasionally flashed, but if the Raptors take the next step, they welcome an immediate upgrade.

These are the kind of targets the Raptors may be looking at, but keep in mind that if you can’t perform sign-and-trade, there are celebrities like Deandre Ayton, Zach LaVine, and Bradley. Beer is out of the Toronto price range. This is because the Raptors do not have the cap space to absorb the maximum contracts players may be looking for.

Instead, Toronto will have to use cap exceptions to add through free agencies, with mid-level exceptions for non-taxpayers (equivalent to about $ 10.3 million) and twice-yearly exceptions (which can last up to two seasons). There is a sexual and valuable deal) over $ 4 million to use when the free agency madness opens on Thursday).

So with that in mind, let’s look at 10 targets that the Raptors might want to consider.

Mobamba

position: center
situation: Limited

After four seasons with minimal progress, it’s unlikely that Orlando Magic will match the offer offered in Bamba’s way if there are full mid-level exceptions. With a wingspan of 7 feet-10 inches at 7 feet, a range up to the three-point line, and an excellent instinct to block shots at just 24 years old, the Raptors are even more to meet the needs of the center. It can get worse.

Nic Claxton

position: center
situation: Limited

Another restricted free agent center. Brooklyn Nets has a depth problem and wants to keep it, but can’t accommodate mid-level offers other than taxpayers, and the Raptors could win an athletic and switchable big. I have. .. Although he is only an aggressive rim runner, he is only 23 years old and his quick feet make him strongly adapted to Toronto’s various defense plans.

Amir Coffey

position: guard
situation: Limited

As Coffey entered the breakout season and started 30 games for the injured Los Angeles Clippers team, the two-way contract was changed to a regular contract. Through his 131 NBA games, he was a 38% career three-point shooter and was able to help the Raptors in that regard. But given his limited status and the work the Clippers have done to help shape him, it’s unclear if Toronto or any other team can break him out of their grasp.

Bryn Forbes

position: guard
situation: Unlimited

If the Raptors are looking for a knockdown shooter that can run a second unit a bit, Forbes is a great option. At 6 feet 2, he’s on the small side of the range of players the club seems to be anxious lately, but he can play both guard spots and is absolutely dead eye across the arc, his Shoot 41.3 percent from a depth of 6-Season NBA careers, including 41 percent of last season’s shoots, were split between San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets.

Gary Harris

position: guard
situation: Unlimited

Harris shot 38.4 percent from that distance to Orlando after he suffered from a slump in three-point shots over the previous three seasons. He’s a smaller two guard than anything else, but when his shooting stroke comes back, it’s a great option away from the Toronto bench as a player who can guard the ball handler and launch his own attack. ..

Tyus Jones

position: guard
situation: Unlimited

Jones has finished a strong regular season with the Memphis Grizzlies and an even stronger playoffs. So his value as a 6-foot backup point guard could be a bit bulging towards a free agent. That said, the Raptors are less likely to find a better option to help run a second unit within their budget than Jones. VanVleet’s heavy loads may not need to be as reliable and tough as Jones.

Malik Monk

position: guard
situation: Unlimited

As long as the backup guard goes, the monk seems to check most of the Raptors boxes. He enjoyed his career at the Los Angeles Lakers last season, primarily as a bench gunner and secondary playmaker. There are two things that Toronto is currently missing. In addition, over his last two seasons, Monk shot 39.4% across the arc, threatening three points. He’s on the small side at 6’3, but he’s only 24 years old, has good athletic performance, and is a decent defender with room for improvement.

Victor Oladipo

position: guard
situation: Unlimited

Given all that he has experienced in terms of injury, Oladipo still feels like a risk, but if you don’t eat all of Toronto’s mid-level exceptions, it may be worth it. He will spend a great moment during his appearance at the Miami Heat Conference Finals this past season, adding another veteran voice to his room. His all-star level days are most likely behind him, but he still shows that he can hit the big guys in big moments.

Bobby Portis

position: Forward / Center
situation: Player options

All signs indicate that Portis will opt out of the final year of his contract with Milwaukee Bucks and become an unlimited free agent. He’s a long and athletic big man, knocking down threes (shooting 39.3 percent from that range last season), scoring inside and eating rebounds at both ends of the floor, so he’s the Raptors. I’m pretty good at it. There may be a conflict between him and Achiuwa deciding who will start at 5, but that’s a small price to pay to get a player as talented as Achiuwa.

Delon Wright

position: Point guard
situation: Unlimited

The Raptors won the Wright in the 20th overall selection in the 2015 draft and eventually used his contract to grease the wheels in the industry that brought Marc Gasol to the team in 2019, that year. We helped to win the title. Since then, Wright has blossomed into a solid backup point guard. Its 6’5 frame allows him to defend multiple positions. Toronto already knows what Wright can bring to the table, and he doesn’t shoot a terrible lot, especially from three, a versatile defender while VanVleet is taking a break. Is not a bad thing to come down from the bench.