Playing Keep or Cut with Each Toronto Raptors Free Agent
The Toronto Raptors' front office has every reason to shake up the roster heading into summer.
A four-game postseason sweep courtesy of the Washington Wizards marred Toronto's greatest regular season ever, after winning a franchise-best 49 games and a second-straight Atlantic Division title.
Six players will be able to dictate their own destinies this offseason when they enter unrestricted free agency. Only two of those players (Amir Johnson and Lou Williams) were key cogs throughout the year, while the other four (Greg Stiemsma, Chuck Hayes, Landry Fields and Tyler Hansbrough) were afterthoughts longer than they were relevant.
Everyone is replaceable when you're not in title contention. The worst thing the Raptors can do is become complacent, content to accept yearly playoff berths with no hope of advancing.
As currently constructed, all Toronto can realistically strive for is the first seven-game series win in franchise history. That's no longer good enough, though. In the wide-open Eastern Conference, a few tweaks to the foundation can move the Raptors up the power rankings awfully fast.
Some of the following names may not be around to experience a potential renaissance—which may be best for all parties involved. It's time for general manager Masai Ujiri to cut some dead weight.
Greg Stiemsma
1 of 6
2014-15 salary: $981,084
2014-15 statistics: 17 games, 3.9 minutes, 0.8 points, 75.0 FG%, 0.9 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.1 steals, 0.4 turnovers, 7.8 PER
Stiemsma is a stand-up guy. Not in the literal sense, though, as head coach Dwane Casey rarely asked the 29-year-old center to get off his rear and enter games.
He played just 66 minutes all season, accumulating more personal fouls (15) than points (14).
Stiemsma's presence was felt more behind the scenes, pushing his teammates during practices as one of the few legitimate bigs on the team. Being the last guy to sign with the roster essentially guaranteed that minutes were going to be few and far between, so if he was ever going to make an impact, it was going to be away from the spotlight.
To Stiemsma's credit, he always maintained a positive attitude and never made a peep about not getting any run. That's all anyone can ask for from someone sitting at the end of the bench.
There's really no reason to keep him, especially considering Casey's preference of playing small. A 6'11" center who can block shots shouldn't have much of a dilemma finding work elsewhere.
Verdict: Cut
Chuck Hayes
2 of 6
2014-15 salary: $5,958,750
2014-15 statistics: 29 games, 8.8 minutes, 1.7 points, 47.8 FG%, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.1 blocks, 0.3 turnovers, 10.4 PER
As the oldest player on the team (31), Hayes' role was more as a calming veteran influence in the locker room than a regular rotation guy.
His 6'6" frame for the center position had a lot to do with earning limited minutes, although he does love playing taller than he is when aiding in shutting down elite 5s. Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies and Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons both felt Hayes' wrath when taking on the Raptors this year.
Holly MacKenzie of Raptors.com believes Hayes' future in Toronto will ultimately be determined by how much Ujiri believes he brings to the team's chemistry: "Hayes is a valued presence in any locker room, particularly for younger teams that can benefit from his wisdom and experience. After spending the last two seasons in Toronto, he has endeared himself to the team’s All-Stars. Whether he returns is a decision for the front office."
Toronto won't implode if Hayes doesn't return next season. A dream scenario would see him join the coaching staff in some capacity, with his ability to connect to players and be a mentor offering tremendous value. He likely has a few more good years of basketball left in him before working the sidelines would even become an option, though.
Verdict: Cut
Landry Fields
3 of 6
2014-15 salary: $8,500,000
2014-15 statistics: 26 games, 8.3 minutes, 1.8 points, 48.8 FG%, 1.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.3 turnovers, 10.8 PER
What was arguably the worst contract in franchise history has finally come to an end.
Fields signed a three-year, $20 million offer sheet with the Raptors during the summer of 2012. It was designed to take the New York Knicks out of the running for point guard Steve Nash, which ultimately backfired when New York elected not to match.
His 107-game run with the team will forever be remembered for poor shooting, which wasn't always his fault. Fields had to constantly change his form after undergoing surgery on his right ulnar nerve and nailed just 26.3 percent of his jump-shot attempts in 2014-15.
With there being no end in sight to his shooting woes, Fields looked to contribute in other ways, whether that was by rebounding or working hard on the defensive end.
He's still young enough at 26 to turn his career around and become a day-to-day contributor, but that can't be north of the border. The stench of his previous contract will never go away.
Verdict: Cut
Tyler Hansbrough
4 of 6
2014-15 salary: $3,326,235
2014-15 statistics: 74 games, 14.3 minutes, 3.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.2 blocks, 0.3 turnovers, 13.3 PER
Psycho-T plays like the proverbial bull in a china shop, clumsily throwing his body around to aggravate the opposition.
And that's quite alright. The Raptors needed someone to throw caution to the wind and compete with a physical, hard-nosed brand of in-your-face basketball. Hansbrough was essentially the toughest player on a team not known for being tough.
He needed to be that way because his fundamental basketball skills weren't going to cut it on their own. Hansbrough wasn't much for shooting, attempting just 17 shots from outside 10 feet. He also struggled protecting the rim, allowing opposing bigs to shoot 58.1 percent on 3.1 attempts.
Russell Peddle of RaptorsHQ believes Hansbrough's role suits him perfectly, though thrusting a larger role on him wouldn't be in anyone's best interest:
"Well, if you can’t shoot, pass, or protect the rim, there’s not much of a place for you as a big man in today’s NBA. For that reason, counting on an undersized and physically limited Hansbrough to slot in as one of your primary frontcourt players off the bench or a spot-starter is suboptimal. He’s great as an energy guy or fourth or fifth big, especially when you need six fresh fouls to use against a tough opponent, but asking for anything more than that is expecting too much.
"
If all you expect from Hansbrough is energy and a change of pace, you can't be disappointed. Let him do the dirty work, and leave the finesse to Jonas Valanciunas or Patrick Patterson.
Verdict: Keep
Lou Williams
5 of 6
2014-15 salary: $5,450,000
2014-15 statistics: 80 games, 25.2 minutes, 15.5 points, 40.4 FG%, 34.0 3P%, 1.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.1 blocks, 1.3 turnovers, 19.9 PER
Williams' winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year was both a blessing and curse for the Raptors.
It was the first piece of hardware won by a Raptors player since Vince Carter took home Rookie of the Year in 1999, but it also raised Williams' stock, making him more desirable to teams with cap space.
He had spurts where he looked like the most dynamic scorer in the NBA, working his magic in an isolation-heavy offense while making defenders look silly through pump fakes and step-backs.
Then he would go cold, chucking up shot after shot until he forced himself into a rhythm—which disrupted the team's flow more often than not.
Appreciating Williams' game is learning to take the good with the bad, trying not to pull your hair out when he decides to shoulder more of the scoring and forgo any plans Casey may have at the time.
He's not big enough at 6'1" and 175 pounds to be an above-average defender. There's also a chance the 28-year-old sees a dip in production after coming off a contract year.
Williams said near the end of the season that he'd very much like to re-sign with Toronto, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN:
"(Staying in Toronto) would be ideal for me. Just the culture that they’re building here, just the identity that this team and this town has, I really want to be a part of it. I look forward to it. I don’t want to say hopefully we get something done, I’m really positive that we will get something done. I don’t see why not, at this point. So I just look forward to the future here.
"
Ujiri needs to be smart with his money, though, and not go overboard with his offer. It only cost the team John Salmons to land Williams in the first place; if only keeping him were that easy.
Verdict: Keep (at the right price)
Amir Johnson
6 of 6
2014-15 salary: $7,000,000
2014-15 statistics: 75 games, 26.4 minutes, 9.3 points, 57.4 FG%, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.8 blocks, 1.5 turnovers, 15.4 PER
All good things must come to an end.
The "heart and soul" banner was well-deserved for Johnson, who's been the Raptors' most consistent and beloved player by fans and teammates alike since 2009. Stuffing the stat sheet has never been his bread and butter; relying on setting screens and a never-give-up-on-a-play attitude is.
The issue at hand is that Johnson has peaked. He's going to be a 10-point, seven-rebound power forward for the remainder of his career—if injuries don't get the better of him first.
Johnson has a lot of mileage on him at 28 years old, entering the league in 2005 as the last high school athlete ever drafted. His body is showing signs of breaking down before he even turns 30, with two wonky ankles being his biggest worry.
He's not a playmaker, so having limited movement isn't going to hurt his ability to put points on the board. Amir gets his buckets by muscling his way into the paint or spotting up with mid-range jumpers and the occasional three-pointer. Where his ankles really impair him is on the defensive end against quicker 4s, both man-to-man and on the fast break.
Power forward is one of the league's deeper positions, with several high-profile names—including Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks and Greg Monroe of the Detroit Pistons—becoming free agents. Toronto won't be the favorites to land a marquee star but will certainly be looking to secure an upgrade. Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Thaddeus Young of the Brooklyn Nets would be perfect fits.
That leaves Johnson in a precarious situation, though. His days as a starter are numbered, so would he be willing to accept a reserve role under a cheaper deal? How strong does his devotion to the city go?
It's highly doubtful he'll sell himself short. This may be his final opportunity to make a sizable amount of money.
It was fun while it lasted.
Verdict: Cut
Christopher Walder is a Featured Columnist for the Toronto Raptors at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports.
Statistics and salary information provided by NBA.com/Stats, HoopsHype.com and Basketball-Reference.com.
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