Toronto is quickly filling out the bottom of its roster. Only a few days after waiving Joe Wieskamp, the Raptors re-signed Ron Harper jr. to a two-way contract and signed Javon Freeman-Liberty to a second. Woj had the news. Markquis Nowell claimed the third and final two-way spot immediately after the draft.
All three players appeared in Summer League this year.
Both Harper and Nowell were inefficient from the field for Toronto, and while Nowell was a brilliant and effervescent passer, Harper missed some easy reads. He improved dramatically as a passer during his season with the Raptors 905 last year, so he has shown ability there. In Harper, Toronto retained an in-house player going forward.
While Toronto’s players largely struggled in Summer League, Freeman-Liberty was pheromonal for the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 21.2 points per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from deep. He is an athletic shooting guard, standing at 6-foot-4. He played four years in college and one last year with the Windy City Bulls in the G League. He was a dynamic scorer there, averaging 18.4 points per game on great efficiency.
While he’ll likely add most of his utility in the NBA as a shooter, he has some pop as a playmaker and ran some pick and roll in the G League and at Summer League. He is a shifty mover and a heady cutter. He’s scored everywhere he’s gone.
One side effect of Toronto’s signings is that if Jeff Dowtin jr. is going to crack the roster, it will now have to be a main contract spot. He lost out on that spot to Will Barton last season down the stretch. Toronto has an available spot after having waived Wieskamp, but the team may not immediately fill it. Dowtin is a restricted free agent.
