The Toronto Raptors have been looking toward keeping their core players intact throughout the NBA: Free Agency. The Raptors signed Kyle Lowry to a three year 100 million dollar deal to keep him in Toronto. They also made a deal to keep Serge Ibaka a Raptor too. Another star player DeMar DeRozan has several more years left on his contract. But, the Raptors also made a key decision in signing veteran shooter Cj Miles from the Indiana Pacers.
The pickup
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news that the Raptors signed CJ Miles to a three-year deal worth 25 million. One of other few players signed right out of high school. The deal comes with a player option for the last year of the contract.
The Raptors traded away Cory Joseph to get the shooter. This was a great move for the team because Joseph was unproductive in Toronto and he was getting overpaid. The Pacers will be getting a decent bench player in Joseph although and he is a young player at 25 years old, who already has a championship ring.
The move by the Raptors brings a veteran shooter who can shoot from the three-point line.
He had some of the best years in Indiana but figured that it was for the best to move on. In years prior, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz.
Why the move?
The Raptors made these moves to create more cap space and to sign a three-point shooter which they needed. The Raptors also got rid of DeMaree Carroll, who got traded to the Brooklyn Nets. This was another good move by the Raptors to free up necessary cap space. Even though Carroll was good on the defensive side of the ball, he had trouble scoring. CJ Miles compliments them on the offensive side, which is what they needed.
The Raptors are looking to compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers and possibly even beat them with their recent moves.
The recent signings show that "The North" has hope that they can be the new kings of the East.
Everybody will remember the buzzer beater shot that Miles missed that would have won them the game. Granted, that one game could have possibly changed the series outlook as it was an early game. But, they still could have lost to the powerful Cavs. This time, CJ Miles will be looking to make that shot with a different jersey.
Post- Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are looking to rebuild after losing Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers are not in a horrible state, but they will miss George significantly.
The Pacers do have good players on their roster in Myles Turner, Bojan Bogdanovic, Al Jefferson, and Lance Stephenson.
Players lIke Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis will have to prove their worth, among others. The team is also in the Eastern Conference, so it will be easier for them to reach the playoffs. The Pacers are not in such a bad predicament as some people would think.
The trade was pretty equal for both sides, but the Raptors got a bit more of an advantage. CJ Miles could be the one missing piece that the Raptors need to grab first in the East.