McCaw’s NBA ring good fit for Raptors

The Toronto Raptors plan to address a backcourt need by signing Patrick McCaw, a young, long-promising player with an NBA championship pedigree.

According to league sources confirming multiple website reports, McCaw is prepared to sign with the Raptors on a league-minimum deal for the rest of this season, giving them another playmaker for the backcourt and a multi-skilled player to add to the roster.

McCaw, 23, was a restricted free agent most of this season after his rookie contract ran out with the Golden State Warriors last July. He was in limbo until last week when the Cleveland Cavaliers signed him to an offer sheet the Warriors did not match. The Cavaliers waived McCaw after just three games, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Raptors, with two roster spots to fill and a backcourt need, pounced as soon as they could. McCaw’s signing should make him available for weekend games against Brooklyn on Friday and in Washington on Sunday afternoon. McCaw, a six-foot-seven guard with a seven-foot wingspan, was drafted 38th overall by Milwaukee in 2016. He played three inconsequential games with the Cavaliers this season. He averaged nearly 17 minutes, four points and 1.4 assists while playing for the NBA champion Warriors in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

He would appear to be a solid fit for the Raptors, who can assume his minimum salary without any significant tax implications and have a need for a promising backcourt player.

Toronto waived guard Lorenzo Brown earlier this week and filling that hole with a proven NBA player makes sense, providing depth behind Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Norm Powell and Delon Wright.

To suggest McCaw is going to immediately become an integral part of the Raptors is a stretch, but having a 23-yearold with championship experience can’t hurt. Whether he can supplant the likes of Wright or Powell on the depth chart is unlikely now but if he is the fifth backcourt player on the roster, that’s a pretty potent roster.

Even with the signing, the Raptors have a roster spot open if GM Bobby Webster or team president Masai Ujiri wants to do something more substantial before the Feb. 7 trade deadline.

But given tax implications and the fact the Raptors had the NBA’s best record, 31-12, heading into Thursday’s games, a trade of Brown for McCaw is a solid week.