Raptors Again Have Open Roster Spots Waiting to be Filled

The Toronto Raptors once again have a couple of roster spots to be filled in the next couple of weeks.

It’s been 11 days since the organization inked Justise Winslow and Mouhamadou Gueye to 10-day contracts and Monday night marked the expiration of those deals. That leaves Toronto’s roster back at 13 players, two shy of the maximum 15 and below the mandated 14 players the Raptors are required to have at some point in the next two weeks.

Toronto isn’t likely to spend too long without those roster spots filled. Both Winslow and Gueye could be re-signed to another 10-day contract as another reward for their hard work with the Raptors 905 this year. Both players are eligible for one more 10-day contract with Toronto before they’d have to be signed to standard contracts this year.

The Raptors could also turn elsewhere, though the G League ranks have been depleted with the addition of a third two-way spot this year.

Toronto could probably use another backup point guard following the departure of Dennis Schröder at the trade deadline. Both Javon Freeman-Liberty and Markquis Nowell remain on a two-way contract and could help the Raptors in a pinch, but Toronto may opt for someone with a little more experience.

Former Raptors guard Jeff Dowtin Jr., for example, could be signed to a contract out of the Philadelphia 76ers’ G League team.

The G League’s leading scorer Malcolm Hill was just up on a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans but has since returned to the G League where he’s averaging 24.6 points per game this year for the Birmingham Squadron.

Brandon Goodwin would offer some veteran point guard play for Toronto too. The 28-year-old is averaging 21.3 points, 8.6 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game with the Westchester Knicks and is currently available for an NBA contract.

If shooting is what Toronto is after, the 23-year-old Matthew Hurt could make some sense as a 6-foot-9 floor spacer who is shooting 43.8% from behind the arc this year. He was recently up with the Memphis Grizzlies but has since returned to the G League and is available for a 10-day contract.