RAPTORS TARGETS

Nicholas D'Agostino

It’s been a few weeks since the Raptors were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs at the hands of the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers. In my Raptors Rap-Up article I outlined the many good things about this past season but I didn’t really touch on the future. More specifically the offseason.

This offseason is an important one for the Raptors as they look to build on a playoff appearance with this new-found core of Pascal, Fred, Scottie and OG. In my eyes, the Raptors roster was incomplete this past season. They were asking too much from their star guys and couldn't rely on many depth pieces coming off the bench.

This offseason, I believe Masi and company should have two main priorities this offseason: 1, adding some useful bench players and 2 adding a big man. To be more specific I believe that there are two players the Raptors should target this offseason.

Delon Wright

Most Raptors fans will remember the name Delon Wright and it is because he is a former Raptors draft pick. Wright played with the Toronto side from 2015-16 to 2018-19. As a backup guard for most of his time in Toronto, Delon brought a bit of everything.

He scored the basketball a little, was an effective playmaker and his 6-5 frame allowed him to be useful on the defensive end. The real question however is: does a reunion make sense? I believe it does as Wright has grown since his time in Toronto, he’s made improvements in his game and most importantly he still fits the Raptors play style and structure perfectly. Delon is a big and lengthy guard who will be an asset to the Raptors as he fits into all their defensive schemes.

This season the Raptors prioritized size and length as they wanted all their players on the floor to be able to guard all positions 1 through 5. This is exactly what Delon will be able to bring. Also, when looking back at Delon’s time in Toronto, he always had a big impact off the bench, bringing energy every time he touched the floor.

Similar to Chris Boucher, the Raptors could really use someone who can come off the bench and provide that spark at any time in the ball game. Lastly, let's not forget that the Raptors organization knows Wright inside and out. They drafted him and developed him while he was in Toronto and it was a sad time when he was traded away. I remember that when he was traded many fans were disappointed as he was an impact player off the bench. I'm sure that the raptors would be interested in a reunion, but would Delon?

Jusuf Nurkić

A second player that I would like the Raptors to target this offseason is centre Jusuf Nurkić. The main reason I would want the Raptors to target Nurkić revolves around his presence in the paint.

The Raptors don’t really have a big hang at the rim centre and in my eyes Nurkić would be a great fit. In his career he’s averaged 12.2 PPG, 1.2 BLKs ppg and 8.5 rebounds per game. Nurkić wouldn't help space out the floor on the offensive end but he would be a guy who would go to work in and around the basket as he uses his size very effectively. He is 6-11 and 290 pounds which would make him one of the biggest players on the Raptors roster.

I think that the acquisition of Nurkić would make the Raptors a better team as he could help guard bigger players in the post which would allow for the other Raptors defenders to have the size matchup in their favour most of the time. Having a guy like this on the Raptors would have helped them greatly in the playoff series against the Sixers as Nurkić could have had the task to defend Embiid as he has the size to match him. Also, another element that Nurkić would bring to the Raptors is his passing ability.

Nurkić is one of the best passing bigs in the game as he averages around 3 assists per game. This would definitely attract the Raptors as they did so well with a great passing big in Marc Gasol when they won the championship. Nurkić’s passing ability would help the Raptors offense flow and it would be another threat to the Raptors offense.

The only downside to Nurkić is his injury history. He has been a little injury prone since he has been in the NBA. In the last 3 seasons he's only played a total of 101 games which isn’t great. Nurkić has shown that when he is healthy he is a force to be reckoned with.

Now, many teams should be interested in Nurkić in the offseason so if the Raptors were to sign him they would have to offer him some good money. If the Raptors were to get him I strongly believe the Raptors would be improving their team quite a bit.