3 Potential Raptors Moves After Chris Paul Retirement

The Toronto Raptors have an open roster spot to work with after Chris Paul was waived.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul beats Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors have some roster flexibility after waiving Chris Paul just over a week after acquiring him in a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets.

The deal sent Ochai Agbaji to the Nets and got the Raptors under the luxury tax. The price to make this move was taking on Paul's contract, but now that he has been waived, the team can now look at other options for the home stretch of the season. Here's a look at three players the Raptors could sign with the final roster spot.

A.J. Lawson

Lawson was on the Raptors roster at the end of last season, so there's reason to believe he could be offered a spot again on the 15-man after playing well with the 905 this year.

He has also gotten some run in the NBA, averaging 3.8 points for the Raptors in 13 appearances. He is also shooting over 36 per cent from beyond the arc.

Toronto Raptors guard AJ Lawson drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Alijah Martin

If the Raptors are going to convert a two-way contract, it might be more likely for Martin to be the player that gets that privilege. The rookie out of Florida was the number 39 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft and signed a two-way contract with the Raptors over the summer. He has made just 13 appearances for the team this season, averaging 2.6 points per game, but he showed exactly why the Raptors drafted him when he was given the opportunity to play extended minutes last month.

Martin consistently played for the Raptors in five games from Jan 19 through the 16 and embraced the opportunity given to him. The Raptors probably won't play him much, if at all, in a potential playoff series, but signing him to the 15th roster spot gives him some confidence and security moving forward.

Chris Boucher

If the Raptors were going to go outside the organization, bringing in a familiar face could be the route to go. Boucher spent seven seasons with the Raptors and also won a championship with the organization in 2019.

Last season, Boucher played 50 games for the Raptors, averaging 17.2 minutes per game and 10 points per contest. He signed with the Boston Celtics in the offseason but did not carve out a role in the rotation and was traded to the Utah Jazz in a salary dump. The Jazz ultimately waived him, and he is now a free agent.

Boucher would give the Raptors some size, but after trading for Trayce Jackson-Davis from the Golden State Warriors, adding a similar player might not make sense for Toronto. If anything, Boucher is a veteran that many players know and would be a plus to the locker room more than the court.