The Toronto Raptors have made their move in free agency, signing DeMarre Carroll to a four-year, $60 million deal. Carroll is a target I had previously singled out as both realistic and desirable for the Raptors, but at this price I might have to reconsider.

It’s not that $15 million per year is too much to pay a player. The Raptors have lots of cap space, and I’d much rather them use it aggressively than let it go to waste. The salary cap jumping up next year also makes any deal you sign now more team-friendly.

It’s just that Carroll is a 3 & D player; he doesn’t do much outside of spotting up on offense. Danny Green, who has almost the exact same game as Carroll, just signed with the San Antonio Spurs for $11 million per year. There’s really no way around it; the Raptors are paying an extra $4 million per year to essentially have the same player.

This is what Raptors fans often call a “treadmill move”. Carroll is a totally legitimate starter, and his presence on the team probably ensures another playoff spot. But he doesn’t have the upside of some other free agent targets, even those in the $15 million range. If Tobias Harris signs for something similar (which is expected) the Raptors will have completely lost out.

I like Carroll, and his improvement as an NBA player over the years is truly commendable. Again, I did recommend the Raps pursue him. However, taking this acquisition in tandem with the team’s drafting of Delon Wright at No. 20, it seems that the Raptors are trying to force-feed toughness and grit into the roster. Maybe that’s the right move, but it looks to me like they’re doing it with a rather significant tax.

Casey Sherman is the Toronto Raptors Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @shermham