Who should get the Toronto Raptors’ 15th roster spot?
With the preseason dwindling, the Raptors will have to make a few tough roster decisions this weekend.
With the NBA preseason reaching it’s conclusion, and the regular season set to tip-off next week, teams need to finalize opening night rosters. The Toronto Raptors in particular have a few decisions to make as they gear up to start their 30th Anniversary season.
The team has already done a bit of the work finalizing their roster, having figured out their two-way and exhibit-10 contracts earlier in the month. The waiving/signing of those young players is to make them eligible for certain bonuses and G-League exemptions, so the team won’t have to worry about doing that.
The biggest question the Raptors will have to answer is: Who will get the 15th roster spot?
Before we dig into that questions, let’s do a quick recap of the current Raptors roster situation as we approach the final preseason game:
Guaranteed Contracts:
- Scottie Barnes
- Immanuel Quickley
- RJ Barrett
- Gradey Dick
- Jakob Poeltl
- Bruce Brown
- Kelly Olynyk
- Chris Boucher
- Davion Mitchell
- Ochai Agbaji
- Garrett Temple
- Ja’Kobe Walter
- Jamal Shead
- Jonathan Mogbo
Two-Way Contracts:
- Branden Carlson
- DJ Carton
- Ulrich Chomche
Exhibit-10’s (will go down to the 905):
- Jahmi’us Ramsey
- Jared Rhoden
- Jamison Battle
Non-Guaranteed Contracts:
- Bruno Fernando
There are 14 roster spots taken up by guaranteed players, and all three two-way spots are spoken for. That means the Raptors have 1 remaining regular roster spot left for the season. It’s between Bruno Fernando and the Ex-10 guys — Ramsey, Rhoden, and Battle.
Ultimately, there is a bit of a dilemma here. As many have noticed, Jamison Battle has been playing great during his preseason opportunities. He scored 8 points against Boston on Tuesday, and 8 points against the Celtics last Sunday. He scored 10 points in the Raptors opening preseason game against the Wizards in Montreal.
Jamison Battle has pretty safely won the "make the most of your limited opportunities" part of training camp. Can really shoot it, with size. Going to get you extended looks, even if the other parts of his game take some time. 905er to watch, at least.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) October 15, 2024
Battle brings a lot of skills the Raptors seem to need, based on their struggles last season. He has a bit of size, can shoot, like Blake mentions above. At 6-foot-7, he brings some size the team really needs, and could a great back up bench player in the forward position. Given the team doesn’t really have championship aspirations, Battle could see some extended minutes if he were to grab that last spot.
Before preseason, there wasn’t much discussion as to who would get that 15th spot, as many assumed it would just go to Bruno Fernando. The 6-foot-9 center signed a non-guaranteed contract as a free agent, filling a need the team certainly has for depth at the 5-position.
Yet, with Battle now battling (lol) for an opportunity, therein lies the question — do you keep Fernando for center depth, or keep Battle because he has been playing better?
I’m obviously not making the decisions, but here is my two cents:
You gotta keep Battle.
Ultimately, it makes more sense. Sure, you need depth in the center spot, but you also have a few options to go to in times of extreme need.
Battle is a rookie, and more moldable in the long run. With a team as young as the Raptors, you have to be thinking about who is going to be good in 2-3 years, and Battle fits that need. You can spend this season working on the raw skills he is already presenting in these few preseason games.
Plus, you have the chance to send him down for the ol’ 905-strength-building-program that has seemed to work on Gradey Dick so far.
Think about how the Raptors built their success the last time around — drafting/signing rookies like Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam, and O.G. Anunoby, then molding them into the players you want and need. Let’s get back to that. Let’s grab a player with a glimmer of promise and teach him how to play the system the Raptors want to implement.
The Toronto Raptors have one final preseason game in Brooklyn on Friday October 18th, and then they will need to make these decisions. Final rosters are due on Monday afternoon, before the season officially starts on Tuesday. The Raptors have until Wednesday before playing their first regular season game.
Let us know, who do you think the Raptors should sign in the 15th and final roster spot?