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To the surprise of many, DeMarre Carroll has been the playoff MVP on a conference finalist and 60-win team during the regular season. Knowing this, one might assume Carroll to be untouchable in free agency; surely his Atlanta Hawks would lock him up with a long-term offer that other teams can’t match.
And yet, this does not appear to be the case; the Hawks only have “Early Bird Rights” on Carroll. I’m not sure precisely how this affects Carroll’s free agency, but I do know that it makes re-signing Carroll slightly less convenient for the Hawks.
The second domino fell in Game 1 of the conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, during which Carroll came up limp on a fast break and had to leave the game. Fortunately for Carroll, the damage to his knee does not appear to be serious, and he might even return at some point during the playoffs. However, a non-contact injury such as this is likely a red flag to potential suitors in free agency. At age 29, teams might wonder if his days as a physical presence on the wing are numbered.
This is where the Toronto Raptors come in. I have bemoaned the Raptors’ lack of a true small forward on the roster ever since Rudy Gay was traded away in 2013, and the current wing combination of DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross simply does not cut it. Neither player can hold their own, on offense or on defense, against elite small forwards in the NBA like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant. I do believe young Bruno Caboclo can be that guy in the future, but even I acknowledge that that’s a “future” we won’t see for some years.
Carroll is a legitimate small forward, and has defended LeBron about as well as anyone this season. The offense – 16/6/2 in the playoffs on outstanding efficiency – is somewhat of a cherry on top, but I’m never going to say no to a bit of offense. As long as the bidding war isn’t too high for Carroll, I think the Raptors should throw their hat into the ring. They might have to trade DeRozan or Ross in tandem with signing Carroll, but these are moves with which I am totally on board.
Carroll would not be my ideal small forward target – that would be the Orlando Magic‘s Tobias Harris – but he’d be serviceable. And for a Raptors franchise that has won a grand total of one playoff series in its existence, serviceable might just be all we can strive for.
Casey Sherman is the Toronto Raptors Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @shermham
