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It pains me to say this, but the Toronto Raptors need an upgrade over Amir Johnson at power forward. My all-time favorite Raptor is both a free agent and chronically injured — two traits that point directly away from him being a part of the team’s long-term future.
As to whom the Raptors should bring in as a replacement, many options are on the table. The team targeted David West midseason (a move I was lukewarm on) and now has eyes on players like Greg Monroe and Paul Millsap. Someone like LaMarcus Aldridge would be tremendous, but that’s probably little more than a pipe dream.
One name that hasn’t come up much is the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Tristan Thompson, but I think he would be a great fit on the Raptors. To start off, he’s Canadian. I normally couldn’t care less about this type of consideration, but the Raptors don’t have any Canadians on the roster; it’d be nice to get at least one.
More importantly, Thompson brings energy and toughness on the offensive glass. Toronto’s best player in terms of plus-minus this season was Tyler Hansbrough – essentially a less-skilled and unathletic version of Thompson. Patrick Patterson was awful on rebounds as a power forward, and the team desperately needs an infusion of toughness to the big-man rotation. Jonas Valanciunas, for all his positive traits, is still young and often gets pushed around.
Thompson is still young and looks to have a bit of upside offensively. The question then falls to the Cavs and whether they’re willing to part ways with the young center. If they win the title this year, it’ll be hard to see that happening, but it’s been no secret all year long that Thompson and Timofey Mozgov don’t fit great together. The Cavs went out and traded for Mozgov because they weren’t confident with Thompson playing starter’s minutes at center. If Kevin Love re-signs, it might be a mutual farewell for Thompson and the Cavs.
Thompson is not going to change the game for Toronto, but signing him could be a step in the right direction. And who knows; maybe it will help bolster an Andrew Wiggins recruitment package many years down the road.
Casey Sherman is a Toronto Raptors Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @shermham
