Toronto Raptors basketball is finally back with the preseason underway. The Raptors kicked off their preseason with a dominant win over the Washington Wizards in Montreal on October 6th. Toronto has four more preseason games before the season tips off on October 23rd. In addition to looking forward to the season, the Raptors front office has some important contract deadline approaching this month.
The Toronto Raptors Have 4 Contract Deadlines Approaching
Gradey Dick
Toronto has until October 31st to decide to pick up Gradey Dick’s team option for the 2025-26 season. It would be worth $4.9 million, with a $7.1 million team option for the following season, which the team can wait to decide on. It is doubtful the Raptors will decline Dick’s third-year option, having picked him in the lottery in the 2023 draft. While Dick’s rookie season had its ups and downs overall, he showed a lot of promise and gave the team no reason to be out on him.
Ochai Agbaji
Sticking with players on rookie scale deals, Toronto also has until October 31st to pick up Ochai Agbaji’s team option for 2025-2026. It would be for the fourth and final year of Agbaji’s rookie contract worth $6.4 million. If Toronto does pick it up, he would become a restricted free agent in the 2026 offseason. It is uncertain if they will pick up the fourth-year option for the former 14th pick in the 2022 draft. The Raptors did send draft capital to the Utah Jazz last season in exchange for Agbaji and Kelly Olynyk, signalling their interest in him. They project to be a cap room team in the 2026 offseason, and Agbaji’s $6.4 million salary could be a useful trade piece. It’s a low-risk move if they decide to pick up his option.
Davion Mitchell
Davion Mitchell is in the final year of his rookie deal. He will become a restricted free agent next offseason unless he and Toronto agree to a contract extension by October 21st. The former ninth pick in the 2021 draft hasn’t met his pre-draft expectations, seeing his role continually diminished each of his first three seasons. Toronto has only gotten to see Mitchell suit up once before they have to decide on potentially extending him. In his one preseason game for the Raptors, Mitchell looked alright, scoring four points and dropping five dimes before leaving with an injury and then returning later. It is unclear if Mitchell and Toronto will agree on a contract extension before the deadline.
Bruno Fernando
On August 2nd, the Raptors signed Bruno Fernando to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal worth $2.4 million. Toronto has until the start of the regular season to decide whether to guarantee his deal for the 2024-25 season. Fernando was signed shortly after he was waived this summer by the Atlanta Hawks. On paper, he would help bolster the Raptors’ frontcourt depth, which gets thin quickly after Jakob Poeltl and Olynyk. The Raptors can sign Fernando to a two-way deal if they want to keep him around without guaranteeing his contract. Either way, the Raptors have till the 23rd to decide on Fernando’s future with the team.
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