5 Former Raptors Among Free Agents Still Unsigned

Gary Trent Jr., Precious Achiuwa, and Kyle Lowry headline the list of former Toronto Raptors players who remain unsigned this offseason

Feb 5, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa (5) and Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. (33) get back on defense during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Free agency has ground down to a hault.

At this point, cap space has almost all been taken care of. Save for the Utah Jazz, nobody has more than the mid-level exception available to spend this offseason and it's getting pretty dicey for free agents who remain unsigned.

Gary Trent Jr. is among the top free agents still available and he headlines the list of former Toronto Raptors players still looking for work this summer.

Gary Trent Jr.

Trent's hope for a payday this summer has all but vanished. The chances of him getting a pay increase from the $18.6 million he made last season are virtually nonexistent and it's hard to envision Trent even getting the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Toronto has moved on from Trent after the organization reportedly considered offering him a $15 million deal for next season, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet. The addition of Ja'Kobe Walter followed by Toronto's trade with the Sacramento Kings officially moved the Raptors into a new direction without Trent.

The 25-year-old is still a high-end shooter, but his lack of an impactful secondary skill and the realities of the league's new collective bargaining agreement have forced Trent into a precarious position. It may be in his best interest to sign a short-term deal with a contender and try to re-establish his value next summer. A deal like that could see Trent signing for the taxpayer mid-level exception worth just $5.2 million for next season.

Precious Achiuwa

The New York Knicks opted not to extend Precious Achiuwa a qualifying offer, making the former Raptors forward an unrestricted free agent this summer. New York is said to still be interested in re-signing Achiuwa, per Fred Katz of The Athletic, but no deal has materialized yet.

Achiuwa looked better in New York than he had in Toronto last season, but he's yet to develop into the kind of two-way player the Raptors had initially hoped he'd become. The Knicks have a need for more frontcourt depth and it wouldn't be shocking to see him back in New York.

The 24-year-old will likely be looking at a deal worth something similar to the bi-annual exception worth $4.7 million for next season.

Malachi Flynn

Malachi Flynn's 50-point performance late last season hasn't seemed to change how teams view the 26-year-old point guard. Despite his shocking one-game showing, Flynn struggled to find regular playing time in Toronto, New York, and Detroit last season and it looks like his NBA career may be in jeopardy.

The Dallas Mavericks reportedly have Flynn on their radar this summer, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. Realistically, Flynn is looking at a minimum contract this summer or a non-guaranteed deal with a chance to compete for a spot in training camp.

Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry isn't ready to head into retirement quite yet, but the 38-year-old is likely looking at another minimum contract this summer as he enters the 19th season of his career.

The former Raptors legend is expected to re-sign in Philadelphia where he ended last season playing with the 76ers under former Raptors coach Nick Nurse. If he doesn't end up back in Philadelphia, the Phoenix Suns are reportedly interested in Lowry as well, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports.

When Lowry does call it quits, he's repeatedly said he plans to sign a one-day contract with Toronto to retire as a Raptor, but don't expect that to happen this offseason.

Jordan Nwora

Toronto acquired Jordan Nwora as part of the return for Pascal Siakam last season, but the 25-year-old never showed enough development to prove he deserved a longer look with the organization. Save for a few scoring outbursts, Nwora was too much of a defensive liability and not efficient enough offensively to warrant a roster spot.

Nwora's NBA career may be over after four NBA seasons spread across three teams. If he does land a deal, it'll likely be a training camp invite with an opportunity to fight for a roster spot.