The Toronto Raptors have a problem that’s actually a compliment to their front office. They found a guy who worked out better than they probably expected, and now everybody wants him.
Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili is expected to test free agency when the market opens, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer. The Raptors would love to lock him up before Tuesday evening at 6 PM ET. But multiple teams are ready to throw a chunk of the full $15 million midlevel exception at him, and that changes the math.
Mamukelashvili averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists this season while shooting 52.3% from the floor. For a guy the Raptors signed off a two-year stint with the San Antonio Spurs last offseason, that’s a nice return. He played 80 games. He was reliable. He gave them size and shooting in a frontcourt that needed both.
His playoff numbers dipped — 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in about 15 minutes per game against Cleveland. But the Raptors didn’t lose that series because of him. And honestly, seven games against a good Cavs team isn’t enough to erase what he did over six months.
Toronto has bigger roster issues to sort out. They’ve been in trade talks on multiple fronts all week. But losing Mamukelashvili would mean using cap space or the midlevel exception to replace a guy who already fits the system. That’s inefficient. And in a league where every dollar matters, inefficiency costs you games.
The Georgian forward is 26 years old. He’s not a star. But he’s a productive big who can stretch the floor, and those guys get paid. If the Raptors let him walk, they’d better have a plan. Because the offers coming his way aren’t going to be small.
This feels like a test of how Toronto views its own depth. Do they treat Mamukelashvili as an expendable piece in a bigger rebuild? Or do they see him as part of the next playoff push? The answer will come fast, one way or another.
Leave a Comment