Raptors Free Agency Move We Loved Most (And One We Still Don't Understand)

While there are still some questions around the Toronto Raptors' roster, here's a look back at the moves that are already locked in.

Sep 27, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster speaks to the media during Media Day at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors’ offseason continues to hang in the balance of the ongoing Kawhi Leonard investigation. What started off as a splashy acquisition to reunite with the former Finals MVP, has since been frozen by the league since July 9 and cannot be completed until a conclusion has been made.

Since the deal was not fully finalized, the Raptors continue to find themselves stuck in limbo over the course of free agency. It hasn’t been easy to navigate, but the front office has done what they can with the limited flexibility they’ve had while navigating the unknown.

That’s why it was important for the Raptors to not stand completely idle while waiting for the Kawhi deal to go through. Here’s a look at one move that helped the Raptors this offseason and one move that leaves us scratching our heads a little.

Why Signing Kyle Anderson Helps Raptors

Mar 3, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson (12) in the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is an underrated signing that gives the Raptors some added depth at the forward position. His numbers aren’t going to jump off the page as his minutes have gone down, as he averaged 6.2 points per game in under 20 minutes per game. Mind you, those minutes were split between three teams over 43 games as he started the season with the Utah Jazz and would later be reunited with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That being said, a lot of his value comes as a positive veteran voice at the end of the bench in the locker room. Remember, the player-coach role was assumed by Garrett Temple, who parlayed his leadership into a coaching position with the Dallas Mavericks. You can likely thank Masai Ujiri for making that happen.

You can count on "Slo Mo" to contribute a little more than he did last year as he’ll firm up the Raptors’ 10-man rotation. He’ll likely see more minutes at the start of the season and will act as a veteran mentor to rookie forward Allen Graves.

Anderson’s vision and playmaking in the half-court offence are traits that the first-year Santa Clara product will want to soak up and learn from. Graves has even seen player comps to Anderson so the mentor/mentee relationship should work quite well.

The hope is that Graves can model his game off of Anderson, whose 3.23 assist-to-turnover ratio from last season gives the Raptors another playmaker despite looking a step slower than everyone else.

Why Trayce Jackson-Davis' Team Option is Surprising

Mar 23, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) shoots the ball before the game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It is difficult to nitpick and find flaws for a team that has had an incomplete offseason with question marks surrounding their roster. If there’s one area that we could have seen a marginable upgrade for would be one of the depth center positions.

Instead of picking up the team option on Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Raptors could have explored other free agent options at center. Depth bigs that are still available for that price include Xavier Tillman, Trendon Watford or a familiar face in Kelly Olynyk. Now, the Raptors are locked into Jackson-Davis, who doesn't have much room for growth at 26.

The Raptors did sign undrafted center Nate Bittle to an Exhibit 10 contract. Chances are, he will play for the Raptors organization, whether that’s on a standard contract or a two-way. Bittle addresses some of the needs the Raptors have, especially at that position. After his G-League performance, Raptors fans would be more inclined to see those end-of-rotation minutes go to Bittle as opposed to Jackson-Davis.

After only playing a collective 85 minutes for the Raptors last season, it’s a little confusing that they’d use one of their few guaranteed spots on him. It will be even more confusing if they settle with Jackson-Davis as their third-string center.

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