Raptors 905 have acquired point guard John Jordan from the Erie Bayhawks, the team confirmed Tuesday. In return, the 905 sent Erie the returning player rights to Luke Harangody, which they acquired in the expansion draft this offseason. The deal is still subject to the passing of physicals.
Jordan will be a familiar name to those who have been following along with the 905, as he’s played against the 905 twice in the last two weeks, including a 17-point performance on Jan. 21. In 18 games split between Delaware and Erie – the 87ers waived him in December, freeing him to land with the Bayhawks – he’s averaged 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 17.6 minutes while shooting 53.1 percent from the floor and 3-of-7 from outside.
A four-year senior out of Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the 5-foot-10 Jordan went undrafted this summer and failed to land an invite to summer league or a training camp. Over his four NCAA seasons, he averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 43 percent from the floor.
A quick lead guard who lacks an outside shot, Jordan stands to figure in to the competition for minutes behind Shannon Scott with the 905. Delon Wright has really lifted the offense when on assignment but otherwise the 905 have struggled with offense from the point guard spot, often tasking a wing (Scott Suggs, Norman Powell, or Axel Toupane) with being the primary initiator. Ashton Smith has provided solid defense when called upon but has also struggled with a high ankle sprain, while Melvin Johnson and Jay Harris are better suited as score-first options. I’m not sure Jordan moves the needle much or will even see regular playing time, but he’ll push the others for that backup role when Wright’s with the parent club.
In any case, an extra option probably can’t hurt. Despite a recent six-game winning streak and a major uptick in overall performance over the last month, the 905 still rank 14th in offensive efficiency and first in turnover rate
The interesting question now is who the 905 cut. The acquisition of Jordan pushes them to 13 non-assignment players, one above the maximum. Occam’s razor would suggest a guard, perhaps Smith, is outgoing, but there are other possibilities. DeAndre Daniels told Raptors Republic last week that he’s still a few weeks away from returning from a Jones fracture he suffered in July and he remains on the roster, though it seems unlikely they’d put him on only to take him off.
Raptors Republic is told that there’s nothing immediate happening with Ronald Roberts, in case anyone drew a very reasonable line from “Need to trim a roster spot” to “Best player on the team should have been called up by now.” The 905 don’t play again until Friday, so they have a couple of days to sort things out.
Harangody, by the way, hasn’t played in the D-League since 2012-13 and is currently playing in Turkey.
