Raptors Working Out Free Agent Big Men

The Raptors are conducting workouts for free agent big men, reports Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link). According to Kennedy, Thomas Robinson and Christian Wood are among the players earning a look from Toronto.

Having traded Jakob Poeltl to the Spurs in their blockbuster trade for Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors could use a little more depth in their frontcourt. While players like Leonard and OG Anunoby may see time at the four in smaller lineups, the only genuine bigs on the roster are Jonas Valanciunas, Serge Ibaka, and Pascal Siakam.

The Raptors have also signed second-year power forward Chris Boucher, but he’s a prospect on an Exhibit 10 contract, and likely won’t be counted on to play a real role during the season, assuming he even makes the 15-man roster.

A weekend report indicated that the Raptors have expressed some interest in free agent center Greg Monroe. Besides having a more extensive NBA track record than players like Robinson and Wood, Monroe also has a different skill set, so it will be interesting to see exactly what kind of player Toronto is looking for and how much the club is willing to spend.

The Raptors still have their $5.34MM taxpayer mid-level exception available, but their team salary is far beyond the luxury-tax line, so every dollar spent to fill out the roster will cost exponentially more in potential tax penalties. As such, Toronto may end up focusing on minimum-salary targets.

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