Toronto Raptors Make Two Roster Moves On Tuesday
Currently in the midst of fighting for position in the Play-In Tournament region of the Eastern Conference standings, the Toronto Raptors made two big roster moves on Tuesday.
After waiving 2016 first-round pick Juancho Hernangomez, who the team agreed to a one-year deal with prior to the start of the 2022-23 season, the Raptors have decided to sign veteran guard Will Barton, who was recently released by the Washington Wizards.
The Athletic's Shams Charania was the first to report both moves made by Toronto.
Playing in a total of 42 games for the Raptors this season, 10 of which he started in, Hernangomez averaged just 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting only 25.4 percent from three-point range.
Hernangomez struggled to make an impact as a secondary player for Toronto, hence why they released him ahead of the March 1 deadline for free agents to be playoff eligible for other teams.
After waiving Juan Hernangomez, the Raptors decided to sign 11-year veteran shooting guard Will Barton, who agreed to a buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards last week.
Barton, 32, was traded from the Denver Nuggets to Washington this past offseason, but was unable to really carve out a role out on the wing for the Wizards.
Now, he will get a chance to be a key bench option in Toronto for a team fighting to earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Playing in 40 games for the Wizards this season, Barton averaged 7.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 38.0 percent from three-point range.
The Raptors rank 28th in the league in bench scoring this season, which is why adding a player like Will Barton could be the difference in them claiming a Play-In Tournament spot and possibly making the playoffs this season.
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