Toronto Raptors: Grading the team’s signings in NBA free agency

The Toronto Raptors had one of the hardest seasons in the entire league in 2020-21. They were forced to play their home games in Tampa, Florida, which is a long way from the fortress of their home arena in Toronto. This had a huge impact on a team’s ability to garner crucial home wins.

Without the sway of their home crowd, the Raptors missed the playoffs, finishing 12th in the  Eastern Conference. This is a rapid fall from grace from the 2019 season where they beat the Golden State Warriors to win the championship.

Thanks to the exodus of players between the 2019 championship and the start of the 2020-21 season, the Raptors had to piece together a roster for last season. They had massive issues at the pivot, waiving Alex Len early and signing Khem Birch towards the end of the season. They waived Rodney Hood, Paul Watson, DeAndre’ Bembry, and Aron Baynes this offseason.

Toronto Raptors NBA free agency signing No. 1: Sam Dekker

Having last played in the league in 2019, Sam Dekker has spent two seasons overseas in Europe. He spent the 2019-20 season with Lokomotiv Kuban in the Russian league, followed by Türk Telekom in the Turkish league. He averaged 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 31.7 minutes per game.

Dekker is a solid stretch-four, going at 42.1 percent from deep during his time away from the NBA. He was not as effective in his time in the league, only shooting the 3-ball at 28.8 percent from beyond the arc. Dekker is back on a two-year deal with the Raptors.

Grade: C+