Toronto Raptors: 4 free agent forwards the team could target

The Toronto Raptors have a massive hole at the forward position. Luckily, a number of quality free agents are still out there waiting to be signed.

If there’s one downside to the Toronto Raptors‘ offseason, it’s failing to re-sign P.J. Tucker or Patrick Patterson. It seems silly to lament their respective departures considering Toronto just retained Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka. But to win games, as the Raptors are clearly trying to do, you need depth. Currently, they have very little.

With single-big lineups en vogue, wing depth is especially critical in today’s NBA. Teams need shooters who can scramble between multiple positions, and usually those players are 6’5” to 6’9” swingmen.

Tucker – a tenacious defender capable of taking on larger players – falls right into that category. Besides DeMar DeRozan and the rickety DeMarre Carroll, no one left in Toronto does. Maybe recent first round pick OG Anunoby proves himself. That’s still not enough.

Patterson is more of a big man. His loss, however, is no less damaging. If we consider Ibaka a center at this point in his career, the Raptors’ power forwards are Pascal Siakam and, well, that’s it. Siakam showed some promise last season, but the Raptors were 7.0 points per 100 possessions better with the rookie off the court, even though he started 38 games.

As it stands, the Raptors’ only proven NBA forward is Carroll. Norman Powell can play the 3 in a pinch, and Ibaka may need to play 4, but this team needs some depth. Someone experienced has to eat up the available minutes.

Now $5 million over the tax apron, the Raptors don’t have much to work with. Unless they dump a sizable contract (more on that in a few days!), their only methods of player acquisition are the $5.2 million taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum contracts.

Zach Lowe of ESPN previously reported that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment would willingly take on a heavy tax burden. For team-building purposes, they may have to. As Masai Ujiri searches out forward depth, here are five options.