Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
There is going to be a lot of confidence going into next season for the Toronto Raptors after their five-game winning streak to end the regular season. The question is whether the team needs to add a big-name free agent this offseason to put them over the top. I think there is one player that could really help this team out going forward. Toronto should explore the possibility of signing Al Jefferson. Jefferson averaged 17.8 points and 9.2 rebounds a game this season for the Utah Jazz and would bring a presence down low that could open up the outside.
Jefferson has shown over the past few years that he is one of the best big men in the NBA. If the Raptors would go out to get Jefferson, the inside would be taken care of and players like Rudy Gay could freely shoot from the outside. Gay would also know that Jefferson will be able to get all of his missed shots as he averaged nearly 17 shots a game this season. It seems like a perfect match.
There are more talented players on the Toronto roster than people may realize with DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas. This team really needs a power forward that will take some pressure of the younger players. Toronto should sign Jefferson to give them the boost that they will need to make the next step in getting back to the playoffs. I will be curious to see if Toronto actually considers this idea or not when free agency gets underway.
Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports, like his Facebook page or add him to your network on Google.
