Toronto Raptors Sign Julyan Stone

Julyan Stone is not a name anyone had in mind when it came to players the Toronto Raptors would sign, but he is an intriguing pick-up for them nonetheless.

According to Adrian Wojnaroski of Yahoo! Sports, the Raptors have signed a two-year deal with Stone.

Stone is a 6’6” pass-first point guard who has the tools to man the floor at the point as well as at the two or the three spot in a pinch. His shot needs improvement, but if and when he develops a jump shot, he can become a rock-solid NBA player.

Stone, with his 6’10” wingspan, is already a plus defender and rebounder who possesses excellent court vision, solid athleticism and a good first step.

Stones best game as a pro came in the 2011-12 season when he logged a career-high 21 minutes versus the Spurs and put up nine points, seven assists and two steals with zero turnovers.

Is Stone a good signing for the Raptors?

This looks like a solid addition for the Raptors, as they land a high-upside point guard on what is likely to be a team-friendly deal.

Stone is unproven in the NBA, but anytime you can land a 6’6” point guard with a 6’10” wingspan, you have to be intrigued.

Stone looks to be no more than a second- or third-string point guard and is not a serious threat to incumbent starter Kyle Lowry.

The fact that he came into the NBA being noted as a terrible shooter gives one pause, but Raptor fans prefer point guards who look to pass first and players who do not settle for jump shots.

This is a very low-risk signing for the Raptors and I believe in general manager Masai Ujiri. If he saw enough out of Stone to warrant bringing him over from Denver, than the potential that all the draftniks were boasting about pre-draft must be real.

According to ESPN, Stone would have been a lock for the first round had he developed his jump shot in college.