The Toronto Raptors acquired Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji from the Utah Jazz for Kira Lewis Jr. Otto Porter Jr. and a 2024- first-round pick before the trade deadline on Feb. 8.
Olynyk became the third Canadian on the Raptors roster joining RJ Barrett and Chris Boucher.
This was a full circle moment for Olynyk who grew up in Scarborough, Ontario and watched the Raptors growing up.
Olynyk is 32-years-old and does not fit a rebuilding timeline in terms of his age, but he offers a lot of value to the Raptors.
He gives Toronto a veteran presence in the locker room and also gives them a backup big man who can stretch the floor and hit threes.
Olynyk is an unrestricted free agent this summer but Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster spoke highly about him, suggesting that the team could be interested in keeping him in Toronto long-term.
As for Olynyk, he has already expressed his desire to remain in Toronto for the rest of his career per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg:
“I would love to be here for the rest of my career if that plays out.”
It is easy to see how happy Olynyk is to be a Raptor. It seems like he has had a smile on his face since joining the team.
Even though Toronto is rebuilding they still need a veteran glue guy and Olynyk seems perfect for that role.
He was that guy for Canada men’s national basketball team when they made their run last summer.
Olynyk makes Raptors debut
Olynyk made his official Raptors debut on Feb. 10 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He was the first player from off the bench. He received an ovation from the Raptors faithful and saluted them with a wave upon checking into the game.
The Canadian did a little bit of everything in 19 minutes of action. He scored 11 points, had 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.
Olynyk will definitely be a big part of the Raptors rotation moving forward, so it will be interesting to see how he fits in.
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