TORONTO — As the NBA’s free agency moratorium period opened on Monday evening there was likely much trepidation that Toronto Raptors fans were feeling.
For one, it was all but assured that franchise icon Kyle Lowry was leaving the club and, less so but still there, was the anxiousness over the team’s centre situation.
After all, because last season’s experiment with Aron Baynes and Alex Len didn’t work out too well — to put it lightly — the importance of having reliable centre play became an important topic for the Raptors heading into the free agency period.
As a result, Toronto was rumoured to be connected to a number of fairly high-profile names such as Jarrett Allen and Richaun Holmes, but when they re-upped with their respective teams there was some understandable fear and confusion from the fan base.
Not that this fazed the Raptors’ front office one bit. While Raptors fans were busy doom posting about the team’s horrible-looking centre situation, Toronto’s front office always had a plan in place, and his name is Khem Birch.
The Montreal native, who signed with the Raptors midway through last season after getting waived by the Orlando Magic, signed a three-year, $20 million contract Friday to remain with the Raptors and couldn’t have been happier to do so.
“Oh man, it feels like a dream come true,” Birch said Friday. “It’s so surreal right now. I just can’t put it into words. Just one of those free agencies where I knew where I wanted to go. I don’t even know what other teams were interested in me. I just wanted to come here regardless of the price or the years or anything. I just knew this was a great fit. I’m just happy I’m here.”
And the Raptors are surely happy he’s remaining as well because he was always part of the team’s future plans. A source close to Birch told Sportsnet recently that when the moratorium period opened up on Monday, the Canadian centre was informed by the Raptors’ front office that the team wasn’t really looking at any other centre options outside of Birch. The Raptors were focused on Birch and given priority to ensure he returns.
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In order to do it, it looks like the Raptors had to dip into most of their mid-level exception, but given how well Birch fit with the Raptors last season, that feels like a small price to pay.
“I think it’s the fact that Coach [Nick] Nurse coached me in Team Canada,” said Birch, alluding to when he played for Team Canada at the 2019 FIBA World Cup with Nurse at the helm of that team. “He’s a big part of that. And also, there’s a culture here, a winning mentality. That’s the type of game I like to play, just winning, selfless player. When I talk about fit, that’s the two aspects I’m talking about.”
The fit that Birch was mentioning was also apparent on the court. In 19 games — 17 being starts — for the Raptors last season, he averaged 11.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting 55.6 per cent from the field.
Additionally, he flashed an improving three-point stroke that he had never really shown before his arrival in Toronto.
He has a ways to go with it as he was 9 for 31 from three-point range with the Raptors last season, but the fact that he’s looking to expand his game, and the Raptors’ coaching staff seem to want him to do so is a major boon for his confidence and, perhaps, for the future fortunes of the Raptors as a team.
“I learned that I have more in my game than I thought and probably more than what other people thought about my game,” said Birch when asked about what he learned during those 19 games with the Raptors last season. “So that’s one thing. But also, I just learned that this organization, they have high expectations for winning.
“Last year, it wasn’t fun, losing all those games. You could tell by the guys’ reactions, especially the older guys on our team. I’m just happy that I have a group of guys who they don’t care about their individual stats but they care about winning.”
Though last season didn’t go the way the Raptors would’ve liked, there’s little doubt that Birch was a major bright spot for the club and now he’s locked in with the team for the foreseeable future.
Just like he — and the Raptors themselves — always wanted.
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