Say what you will about Eric Moreland’s NBA future, but call him NBA Champion as you do it. Despite the roundabout journey he took last season it still ends with a Raptors championship ring on his finger. That’s a win.
Moreland’s journey with the Raptors started last summer when he agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal in Toronto. For those unfamiliar, an Exhibit 10 is one of the league’s allowances for teams to carry more than 15 players in the offseason/training camp.
Exhibit 10 contracts are one year minimum deal that includes no bonuses and no guaranteed compensation. Teams then have the option to convert Exhibit 10s to a Two-Way contract. If a player on an Exhibit 10 is waived and signs with the franchise’s G-League Affiliate they can then earn a bonus of up to $50,000.
Obviously none of these additional steps were taken with Moreland. Yes, he was waived just 4 days before opening night as one of the rosters final cuts, but he was not converted to a Two-Way and did not sign with the G-League.
The journey continued for Moreland on December 10th when he was signed to have a drink of water with the Phoenix Suns, playing in just 1 game before being waived on Jan. 3rd.
On March 14th the Raptors signed Moreland to a 10-Day contract where he played a total of 21 minutes over two games (a 111-98 win over the Lakers and a 128-92 victory over the hapless New York Knicks/Kazoos), but was not renewed for a second 10-Day.
Toronto was clearly prioritizing the final spots on the roster in an effort to see what veterans could be available in the buyout market. The 14th roster spot was used for Jeremy Lin after he was bought out by Atlanta, but as no other options became available for the final spot Moreland was signed on the final day of the regular season for the playoff run.
It was likely his earlier run with Toronto that prompted the signing. Not the individual numbers he put (as they were very limited), but the familiarity he had within the locker room and on the court. From training camp and his 10-Day contract Moreland would have known the playbook and the majority of the players, making it a natural fit for a depth piece.
Moreland played in a total of 8 playoff games for a total of 28 minutes of action. With playoff averages of 0.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists and a 50 percent average from the floor, nothing stands out from the base level. And the small sample size clearly shades his 153 Offensive Rating and 100 Defensive Rating (+53 Net Rating!).
The stats are useless. He helped in small minutes when the Raptors made convenient runs, but it is not indicative of what could reasonably be expected from Moreland moving forward.
He remains a capable defender, good rebounder, and by accounts a good teammate. If he is retained in Toronto I’d expect it to be on a similar Exhibit 10 or non-guaranteed training camp invite. In all likelihood his role as the team’s third centre will be taken over by Chris Boucher next year, with little to no opportunity for him to crack the rotation.
As fans and writers we are limited in our understanding of a player’s contributions to a team. We have access to data and game footage, but so much more goes into a team’s success or failures. If not for some great reporting by Kevin O’Connor we would not know that the Raptors used Jordan Loyd to mimic the likes of Steph Curry and Ben Simmons in practice, and I would expect that Moreland found his own ways to impact the Raptors run.
While his time with the Raptors is likely done and his time on court was minimal, the day will come when Moreland attends a Raptors game and gets an ovation as he raises his championship ring in the air. And that’s a wildly delightful thing to think about.
