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How did the Toronto Raptors fare during the 2023 NBA Free Agency period?
The first few weeks of free agency featured a few teams re-signing key free agents. The Minnesota Timberwolves re-signed guard Anthony Edwards to a five-year extension. The Indiana Pacers locked down guard Tyrese Haliburton on a five-year deal of his own, keeping the former Iowa State standout on the roster until 2029.
The Raptors may not have been as active as some of their Eastern Conference counterparts, but they still made their fair share of moves to address some of their biggest needs from the beginning of the NBA offseason.
They signed guard Dennis Schroeder to a two-year, $26 million contract. They signed forward Jalen McDaniels to a two-year, $9.3 million deal, giving them extra depth at the small forward to go along with forwards OG Anunoby, Otto Porter Jr. and Joe Wieskamp. In one of their more important offseason moves, they re-signed center Jakob Poeltl on a four-year, $80 million contract extension with a player option for the 2026-27 season.
The Raptors currently have 15 players under contract for the 2023-24 season, according to sports contract and salaries website Spotrac. Siakam, Poeltl and forward Scottie Barnes highlight the players who could return to the roster next year.
What is the best move the Raptors made during the NBA's Free Agency period?
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Re-signing Jakob Poeltl
If he accepts his player option in the future, keeping Poeltl around on a solid contract can ensure the Raptors have a reliable option at the center spot until the 2026-27 season.
The former Utah center was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent two seasons with Toronto before being included in the trade that sent forward Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors. The Spurs would trade Poeltl in 2023 in exchange for center Khem Birch, a 2024 first-round pick and two second-round selections.
Poeltl would play in 26 games and start in 25 for the Raptors during the 2022-23 season, earning averages of 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. His second Toronto tenure was highlighted by a 21-point, 18-rebound, three-steal performance during a five-point win over the New Orleans Pelicans in February.
Along with Siakam, Anunoby and Barnes, the Raptors will have a solid core of veteran players to kick off their first season under head coach Darko Rajaković. Toronto announced its coaching staff earlier this month. Rajaković will be joined by an assistant crew that includes former Chicago Sky head coach and general manager James Wade, who helped guide the Sky to an 81-59 record and a WNBA championship in 2021 during his time in Chicago.
“This coaching staff reflects the team we want to see on the court – high character, high energy, and high creativity,” Rajaković said in a July release. “We've already begun the work we know needs to be done as we head into our first season in Toronto together. We're excited by the talent, by our team's potential, and by the job ahead.”
Toronto added former Kansas guard Gradey Dick through the 2023 NBA Draft, giving them a solid shooting option to pair with guard Gary Trent Jr. at the two spot. Keeping center Christian Koloko, who had a decent season for the Raptors after he was taken with the 33rd-overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, will give Toronto a productive center rotation heading into next year.
