10 free agents the Raptors could target: Will Toronto take a look at Mo Bamba?

Blake Murphy joins Sportsnet Central to discuss realistic possibilities for the Toronto Raptors over the offseason, some mid-level exception players management can target in free agency and players on the trade market that would fit the team's needs.

With NBA free agency set to begin Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, the Toronto Raptors appear to be entering from a position of relative strength.

After a blessed 2021-22 campaign that saw them go 48-34 and finish fifth in the Eastern Conference despite predictions it would be a down year, the development year turned out to be a very successful one, highlighted by Fred VanVleet’s first all-star nod, Pascal Siakam’s return to All-NBA status and Scottie Barnes establishing himself as one of the game’s brightest young talents with a Rookie-of-the-Year campaign.

These positive steps forward have made the Raptors' off-season a rather comfortable one.
The team has a talented core comprised of VanVleet, Siakam, Barnes, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and Precious Achiuwa all locked up at least until the end of next season. And during last week’s NBA Draft, the club looked to somewhat address its need at backup centre with the selection of Arizona junior Christian Koloko.

Still though, just because the Raptors are in a good place at the moment doesn’t mean they can’t get better, and they can certainly look to improve themselves during free agency.

Despite the steps Achiuwa took last season and the drafting of Koloko, centre is still an area of need the Raptors will probably want to look at shoring up. Additionally, given all the playmaking that Siakam and Barnes offer, the Raptors don’t have many consistent targets for them to kick out to and make defences pay for collapsing in on them in the paint, so finding a spot-up shooter – or even better a reliable three-and-D wing – would be helpful.

Lastly, it might behoove the Raptors to go looking for a suitable backup point guard or a shot creator who can play with the second unit. Toronto’s bench woes were well documented last season, and that’s mainly because there wasn’t a guy in those secondary and tertiary looks who could either get the team into its offence or create something for himself. Malachi Flynn and Dalano Banton have shown flashes at times, but if the Raptors are to take the next step, an immediate upgrade would be welcome.

These are the kinds of targets the Raptors could possibly be looking at, but one thing to keep in mind, though, unless they manage to execute a sign-and-trade, the big names out there such as Deandre Ayton, Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal will be out of Toronto’s price range. This is because the Raptors simply don’t have the cap space to absorb the max contracts those players will likely be looking for.

Instead, Toronto will have to use cap exceptions to add through free agency and will have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (worth about $10.3 million) and the bi-annual exception (a contract that can last up to two seasons and is worth just a little over $4 million) to use when free agency madness opens Thursday.

So, with that in mind, here’s a look at 10 targets the Raptors may want to consider.

Mo Bamba

Position: Centre
Status: Restricted

After four seasons with minimal progress, it’s unlikely that the Orlando Magic will match any offers that come Bamba’s way if they're around the full mid-level exception. At seven feet with a seven-foot-10-inch wingspan with range out to the three-point line and good shot-blocking instincts at only 24 years of age, the Raptors could certainly do worse to address their need at centre.

Nic Claxton

Position: Centre
Status: Restricted

Another restricted free agent centre. The Brooklyn Nets – with their depth problems – likely want to keep, but probably won’t be able to match offers that come in at the non-taxpayer mid-level, opening the door for the Raptors to potentially acquire the athletic, switchable big. He isn’t much more than a rim runner offensively, but he’s only 23 and his quick feet would make him a strong fit with Toronto’s various defensive schemes.

Amir Coffey

Position: Guard
Status: Restricted

Coffey had a breakout season that saw him see his two-way contract converted to a regular one as he started in 30 games for an injury-depleted Los Angeles Clippers team. Through 131 NBA games, he’s a career 38 per cent three-point shooter, so he could certainly help the Raptors in that regard. However, given his restricted status, and the work the Clippers have done to help mold him, it’s unclear if Toronto or any other team might be able to pry him from their grasp.

Bryn Forbes

Position: Guard
Status: Unrestricted

If the Raptors are looking for a knockdown shooter who can run their second unit a little then Forbes would be an excellent option. At six-foot-two, he’s on the smaller side of the spectrum of players the club has appeared to covet recently, but he can play both guard spots and is absolutely deadeye from beyond the arc, shooting 41.3 per cent from deep over his six-season NBA career, including the 41 per cent he shot last season split between the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.

Gary Harris

Position: Guard
Status: Unrestricted

After he was mired in a three-point shooting slump over the previous three seasons, Harris shot 38.4 per cent from that distance last season with Orlando. He’s more an undersized two-guard than anything, but if that shooting stroke of his has returned, he would be a nice option off the bench for Toronto as a player who can guard ball-handlers and create his own offence.

Tyus Jones

Position: Guard
Status: Unrestricted

Jones is coming off a strong regular season and even stronger playoffs with the Memphis Grizzlies, meaning his value as a six-foot backup point guard might be a little inflated heading into free agency. With that said, the Raptors aren’t likely to find a better option to help run their second unit within their budget than Jones. VanVleet’s heavy load may not need to be as heavy with a lead guard as reliable and tough as Jones is.

Malik Monk

Position: Guard
Status: Unrestricted

As far as backup guards go, Monk looks like he would check off the most boxes for the Raptors. He enjoyed a career year with the Los Angeles Lakers last season primarily as a bench gunner and secondary playmaker – two things Toronto is currently lacking. Additionally, over his last two seasons, Monk has become a good three-point threat, shooting 39.4 per cent from beyond the arc. He’s on the smaller side at six-foot-three, but he’s still just 24, is blessed with great athleticism and is a decent defender with room still to improve.

Victor Oladipo

Position: Guard
Status: Unrestricted

Given all that he’s gone through injury-wise, Oladipo does still feel like a risk, but if he doesn’t eat into all of Toronto’s mid-level exception it could be well worth it. He had big moments during the Miami Heat’s run to the Conference Finals this past season and would add another veteran voice to the room. His all-star-level days are most likely behind him, but he’s shown he can still hit big shots in big moments, an invaluable skill for any team with aspirations to make noise in the playoffs.

Bobby Portis

Position: Forward/Centre
Status: Player Option

All signs are pointing to Portis opting out of the final year of his deal with the Milwaukee Bucks and becoming an unrestricted free agent. He would be quite the get for the Raptors as he’s a long, athletic big man who can knock down threes (he shot 39.3 per cent from that range last season), score on the inside and gobbles up rebounds on both ends of the floor. There might be some conflict with him and Achiuwa determining who would get the start at the five, but that would be a small price to pay for acquiring a player as talented as Portis is.

Delon Wright

Position: Point guard
Status: Unrestricted

The Raptors took Wright with the 20th overall selection in the 2015 draft and eventually used his contract to help grease the wheels in the trade that brought Marc Gasol to the team in 2019, helping them win the title that year. Since then, Wright has blossomed into a solid backup point guard, whose six-foot-five frame allows him to defend multiple positions. Toronto knows what Wright can bring to the table already, and while he doesn’t shoot an awful lot – especially from three – having a versatile defender coming off the bench while VanVleet is getting a breather isn’t a bad thing to have.

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