Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Projecting Raptors 2022-23 Roster Following Summer League
For a team plagued with depth problems last season and one of the NBA's worst second units, the 2022-23 Toronto Raptors appear to be strangely deep.
That's not to say the team is loaded with talent by any means. In the East alone, there are plenty of teams with far more bench talent than the Raptors whose lone offseason acquisition involved bringing in Otto Porter Jr., but between serviceable veteran and intriguing prospects, Raptors coach Nick Nurse and Toronto's front office are going to face some difficult decisions.
Starters
For now, we'll pencil in the usual suspects as Toronto's starting lineup for next season. That'll be Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam. That lineup played 345 minutes together last season, the most of any Raptors' five-man unit, and finished the year +6.
There's a good chance that lineup remains the same next year, but don't rule out the possibility of Trent moving to the bench in favor of Precious Achiuwa. The fact that Trent is in a contract year might complicate that, but swapping Trent and Achiuwa would give the Raptors a little more starting lineup size while giving the bench some more office firepower.
Bench Mob
Assuming Achiuwa doesn't get bumped into the starting lineup, he, Chris Boucher, Porter, and Thad Young are expected to be the first four off the bench next season, likely in that order.
Boucher has developed into a leader on the bench and a high-energy reserve who Nurse loves to bring in with the second unit. Porter, a career 40% three-point shooter, should help buoy a bench that ranked last in three-point shooting last season. Young, meanwhile, rounds out the group as a veteran and stabilizing presence who can do a little bit of everything for Toronto.
Next Up
Neither Khem Birch nor Malachi Flynn did very much to impress last season and will likely start the season just outside the rotation. Birch, 29, may see some playing time against more traditional centers throughout the year and is an insurance policy in Toronto's frontcourt. The 24-year-old Flynn, conversely, will fill in when VanVleet needs a breather or a night off.
Developmental Players
Dalano Banton and Justin Champagnie both re-signed with the Raptors this summer and are almost certainly going to earn roster spots in training camp. They played sporadically in the rotation last year for Toronto and will likely play a similar role next year, bouncing between the G League and NBA depending on need.
Toronto's lone draft pick this year, Christian Koloko, who has yet to officially sign his contract, will likely spend most of the year in the G League with the Raptors 905. Don't expect him to see very much playing time with the Raptors, at least in the first half of the season, but he will certainly get a contract and a roster spot at some point this summer.
Ron Harper Jr., who signed a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent following the draft, will likely join Koloko with the 905.
Bubble Players
With 14 of Toronto's 15 roster spots accounted for and just one two-way spot remaining, this is where the Raptors are facing a bit of a roster crunch.
Svi Mykhailiuk has a guaranteed contract for the year, having picked up his $1.8 million player option for the season. He didn't do much last season to warrant another look and is a candidate to be waived should training camp not go his way.
Armoni Brooks had a pretty disappointing Summer League, shooting just 38.5% from the floor and 27.5% from three-point range. If he can't make threes at a higher percentage, he'll likely be a roster casualty this fall.
David Johnson, similarly, didn't have a particularly impressive Summer League. The former second-round pick battled injuries for most of last year and has yet to prove he deserves a roster spot. He remains a restricted free agent for now, but he'll need to turn things around quickly if he's going to remain with the team next year.
The two frontrunners for the final roster spots appear to be D.J. Wilson and Jeff Dowtin. Wilson piqued Toronto's interest last year before suffering a season-ending injury. His Summer League was a little up-and-down, but he'd provide the Raptors with a little more size and versatility, of course, on the bench. Dowtin was the biggest Summer League standout for Toronto and has likely earned himself that final two-way spot as a reserve guard for the Raptors.
Further Reading
Report: Nets 'wouldn't consider' Kevin Durant offer from Raptors without Scottie Barnes
Raptors knock off Heat but fall short of Summer League finals
D.J. Wilson shows why Raptors signed him with a breakout Summer League showing
