Top Options Still Available For Raptors a Month Into Free Agency

The list of free agents is getting thin a month into free agency but there are a few players who could still make some sense for the Toronto Raptors

Dec 23, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

It's been over a month since NBA free agency officially began and the Toronto Raptors still sit with nearly $11.4 million in salary flexibility to use this year.

The league's new collective bargaining agreement gives teams new flexibility to use that space in trades. The Raptors, for example, could save that money as their non-taxpayer mid-level exception and use it to absorb a contract from a team in a trade at some point during the year.

That said, there are some — albeit few — free agents still available that are potentially worth looking at.

Isaac Okoro (RFA)

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to hold Isaac Okoro's rights as a restricted free agent but the 23-year-old wing has yet to ink a deal this summer and it's unclear what his future holds.

Okoro has never lived up to his potential as the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, but he's young and versatile and his 39.1% three-point shot last season provides some upside as a 6-foot-5 3-and-D wing. Theoretically, he'd fit Toronto's timeline and give the organization another defense-first wing player to pair with Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Mogbo.

Signing him would likely require Toronto to use most of its remaining salary space in a multi-year offer for Okoro. There's no guarantee the Cavaliers wouldn't just match the offer and keep Okoro too, but the Raptors could try to make the offer punitive in such a way that would make Cleveland think twice before agreeing to the deal.

Talen Horton-Tucker (UFA)

The Raptors were repeatedly connected to Talen Horton-Tucker in trade rumors a few years ago, but it seems as though the shine has worn off the 23-year-old former Los Angeles Lakers guard.

The Utah Jazz recently renounced their rights to Horton-Tucker following another offensively inefficient season for the 6-foot-4 combo guard. While the past few years haven't gone as expected for Horton-Tucker, the Chicago native did average 10.1 points and could make sense as a bench guard for a team that still views him as a prospect with upside.

At this point, it doesn't look like there's going to be a significant offer made to Horton-Tucker this summer and if Toronto truly did see him as a trade candidate a few years ago, the Raptors may be wise to take a buy-low stab at the sixth-year guard.

Lonnie Walker IV (UFA)

Lonnie Walker IV signed a one-year minimum deal with the Brooklyn Nets last season and while he didn't have a stellar season, the 25-year-old's 38.4% three-point stroke does create some intrigue.

The 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 9.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game for the Nets last year across 58 games. He profiles a little too similarly to some of Toronto's other backcourt options, but at this point in the summer he's among the best players still available.