Otto Porter Jr. is staying with the Toronto Raptors. Porter, who signed a two-year, $12.3 million free agent deal with the Raptors last summer, exercised his player option for the 2023-24 season on Tuesday, per Shams Charania of the Athletic. He signed a two-year, $12.3 million deal with the Raptors last summer.
How Does Otto Porter “Opting In” Affect the Toronto Raptors’ Offseason Plans?
What Porter Jr. Provides the Raptors
It is unsurprising that Porter opted-in since he is coming off a season where he was limited to eight games due to a left foot ailment. He had season-ending surgery to repair a dislocated left toe.
Porter produced 5.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 18.2 minutes a game. The 6-foot-8 combo forward also came up with 1.4 steals a game while compiling a shooting slash line of .5oo/.353/1.000.
Porter came to Toronto after being a valuable member off the bench for Golden State’s World Championship run in 2021-22. He is an excellent shooter who has become primary a primary spot-up shooter. Porter is also a solid playmaker, rebounder, and underrated defender.
Raptors 2023-24 Offseason Outlook
Toronto is a team in flux. The Raptors finished fifth in the Atlantic division with a 41-41 record, marking the franchise’s worst 82-game record since 2012-13. The Raptors reached the Eastern Conference play-in tournament as the ninth seed but lost to the Chicago Bulls in their opening game.
Toronto finished 13th in offensive rating and 11th in defensive rating. The Raptors were not a good shooting team, ranking 27th in field goal percentage (45.9%) and 27th in 3-point percentage (33.5%). While the Raptors led the NBA in turnovers and third in offensive rebounds, they were an average defensive rebounding team overall. The Raptors were also second in turnovers forced.
Toronto is now looking for a coach after firing Nick Nurse, who led the Raptors to an NBA title in 2019. With Porter staying in Toronto, the Raptors have 12 players for next season and are over the league’s salary cap at $144.1 million.
Toronto’s Offseason Plan
The Raptors’ biggest needs are guard depth, shooting, and a better-balanced roster.
General Manager Masir Ujiri has plenty of decisions to make. Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. also have player options. Ujiri must decide whether they are in the Raptors’ long-term plans and sign them to deals this offseason. He must also decide whether to trade Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby.
Toronto is expected to make a serious run at keeping unrestricted free agent Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors went 15-10 after acquiring Poeltl at the trade deadline. They traded a top-6 protected 2024 first-round draft choice and second-round picks in 2023 and 2025. The 28-year-old center made a little over $9 million and has a cap of $17.8 million. It is likely he will get between $13-$17 million a year.
Toronto is also expected to keep restricted free agent Jeff Dowtin. Those projected signings and the slated salary spot ($4.14 million) for the No. 13 overall selection will likely send the Raptors past the luxury tax threshold of $162 million.
One potential solution for the Raptors to stay under the punitive tax is to trade Porter, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
Absolutely no surprise here.
Porter now officially on the books for 2024-24. Last update was he was still recovering from Jan surgery.
Wouldn't be surprised if Raps test trade market for him, given their projected proximity to the tax, but maybe a new system+health helps. https://t.co/yYu63mTcSO
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) April 25, 2023
