The Toronto Raptors have an interesting offseason ahead.
The team missed out on a top-six lottery pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft. Now the Raptors have to make a decision about how they want to proceed going forward.
There is already talk about the Raptors possibly holding out and tanking another year to get a high pick in a much better 2025 NBA Draft. However, there’s also a world where Masai Ujiri likes what he has and adds to this group in an attempt to be competitive next season.
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report has the Raptors adding Patrick Williams this summer in his latest offseason predictions piece:
“The Toronto Raptors’ need for rangy combo forwards is a good illustration of how quickly rosters can change in the NBA. It wasn’t so long ago that the Raps were deep into the positionless experiment many dubbed “Project 6’9″”, during which they over-indexed on exactly that player type. Scottie Barnes and Jalen McDaniels are the only such players under contract in Toronto for next year, which means a good chunk of the Raptors’ projected cap space should probably go to a free agent who can man the 3 or the 4 in flexible lineups.”
Patrick Williams would be an intriguing option for the Raptors. The Chicago Bulls will have DeMar DeRozan’s unrestricted free agency to deal with and they could overlook trying to bring back Williams. Williams is a restricted free agent so the Raptors could come in with a compelling offer sheet and pry him away from the Bulls. The issue with Williams has been injuries. He has dealt with injuries in two of his four seasons. However, Williams would be a nice timeline fit with Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. Williams turns 23-years-old in August.
Hughes believes Williams could end up being a solid fit on the Raptors:
“A low-usage offensive player who hasn’t shown any knack for self-sufficient shot creation, Williams has quietly pumped his career hit-rate on threes up to 41.0 percent. If he can add a little volume, focus on being a catch-and-shoot threat and defend across multiple positions, he’d be a stellar fit alongside the Raptors’ other early-20s pieces.”
If the Raptors do decide to get busy in free agency Williams is definitely a name to keep an eye on.
Raptors take intriguing french prospect in CBS Sports’ mock draft
Even though the Raptors won’t have its own first-round pick, they still have two draft picks to work with at this year’s draft. They will have No. 19 via the Indiana Pacers and No. 31 via the Detroit Pistons.
At No. 19 CBS Sports has Toronto taking a high-upside player from France.
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