The Toronto Raptors had a rough season when it came to their frontcourt.
Jakob Poeltl missed 32 games due to injury. Christian Koloko is dealing with an on-going respiratory issue and the Raptors had to make the tough decision to waive him. Also, Jontay Porter was banned from the league after violating gambling rules.
The Raptors do have Kelly Olynyk who is a solid veteran big, but he’s not going to be in the Raptors long-term plans when it comes to that position.
The Raptors could go after a young big man in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.
UConn’s Donovan Clingan is projected to go around the No. 6 pick so if Toronto keeps their selection, they can draft him. Or the Raptors could target Canadian center Zach Edey who’s expected to go around Toronto’s No. 19 pick.
If Toronto doesn’t draft a big on draft night, they could look to free agency.
Nic Claxton is an unrestricted free agent and he has been linked to the Raptors in the past.
If Toronto can create the necessary cap space for him, he’d be an interesting option.
If Claxton leaves the Brooklyn Nets, the Oklahoma City Thunder has the best odds to land him. According to Bovada, the Thunder has +225 odds to sign Claxton. The New Orleans Pelicans have the second-best odds and the Raptors have the third-best odds to land Claxton at +800.
If the Raptors do fully commit to Poeltl and don’t trade him, it’s hard to imagine Toronto bringing in Claxton as a backup. However, that’s a possibility.
Will Toronto target Claxton?
Claxton is a great defensive player who averaged 2.3 blocks per game over the last two seasons. He’s 25-years-old so he’s perfect for Toronto’s rebuilding timeline.
If the Raptors part ways with either Gary Trent Jr., or Bruce Brown they could make a run at Claxton this summer.
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