The Toronto Raptors have an exciting young core that is still early in their developmental process. The franchise has a defined style of play and has embraced positionless basketball. They had an exciting season last year which included a red-hot end to the regular season. Their overall 48-34 record gave them the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference last season. While Toronto was unable to advance past the opening round, it was an overall successful season with room to grow moving forward.

While the franchise has been connected to some Kevin Durant rumors, their offseason has been fairly quiet thus far. They made a solid addition in the draft by adding Christian Koloko with the the 33rd overall pick. The reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year has exciting potential and at a position of need for the franchise. While positionless basketball certainly has its benefits, having a true center in the rotation options still is important. The Raptors also added undrafted wing Ron Harper Jr on a two-way deal.

The franchise elected to bring back Chris Boucher, Thaddeus Young, and Justin Champagnie as well. They also inked DJ Wilson to a two-year deal after spending time with the franchise on a 10-day last season. While most of the growth will occur from the current young core progressing, there is one move that stood out.

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Raptors' best move of 2022 NBA offseason

The Raptors best addition of the offseason was signing Otto Porter Jr. The former third overall pick has had an up-and-down start to his career but has grown more comfortable in his role in recent years. The Raptors signed Porter Jr to a two-year deal with $12 million with the second year a player option. This is a very affordable contract for a player of his caliber. The 2022 NBA champion is in the prime of his career and prepared to make an impact on another contender.

While he may not be as versatile as the bulk of Toronto’s roster, Otto Porter Jr is a solid fit as a modern day wing or stretch forward. He is a capable defender who is a career 39.8% three-point shooter. While his numbers have been more impactful in past years, Porter Jr is coming off a very solid season in which he played a major role in the Warriors success. During his 22.2 minutes of play, the Georgetown product averaged 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. The growth he has shown on the defensive side of the ball has been especially intriguing.

The Raptors still have some interesting decisions to make moving forward. If they want to make a major splash and get involved in the star-studded trade talks, they likely have the assets to do so. The benefit to Otto Porter is he is a great fit regardless of what the Raptors elect to do. If the franchise decides to accelerate their timeline and join the true contenders, Porter Jr has proven to be an effective role player on this level of NBA team. If the Raptors elect to stay the course and allow the current core to continue to develop, Porter Jr will fit in just fine as a rotational piece to set the tone. There also have been rumors of a potential OG Anunoby trade looming. Few players would be able to plug in as seamlessly into the role as Otto Porter Jr if Anunoby is on the move.

This type of win-win addition is rare in the NBA. Adding Otto Porter progresses the team forward while still leaving flexibility on the table. The Warriors could not afford to keep all the key championship contributors and Toronto should be thankful he slipped free. Expect him to be counted on as a three-point shooter and find good chemistry around the current roster. Porter Jr is able to be productive in limited opportunity which is important for a bench player. Look for him to make a positive impact as a floor spacer and on the boards for the Raptors this season.