Report: Raptors sign Patrick Patterson to 3-year, $18M deal
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The Toronto Raptors have agreed to a three-year, $18 million, fully guaranteed deal with restricted free agent Patrick Patterson, according to a report from ESPN later confirmed by the National Post.
Patrick Patterson has signed a 3-year, $18 million deal with the Toronto Raptors, source told ESPN.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) July 4, 2014
Can confirm three years and US$18-million for Patterson, from the Raptors. Things getting dicey, tax-wise, now.
— Eric Koreen (@ekoreen) July 4, 2014
The dollar value is slightly above what some had anticipated, but with the market for shooting hot and the market for bigs thin, a player who fills both needs was going to get paid.
And, to be clear, Patterson was at times very good for the Raptors last season and was a key part of their mid-season turn-around. In 48 games with Toronto, Patterson averaged 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 41.1 percent on threes. The Raptors are clearly betting that's the Patterson they'll get for the next three seasons.
However, that's not a lock. While he's just 25 and conceivably has room to grow, Patterson has struggled to lock down a role in several stops. He doesn't rebound particularly well, is only useful defensively against certain frontcourt styles, and he really needs the three to be dropping to earn this kind of contract. He's a 36.8 percent career long-range shooter, however, and if he can stay at that clip then the Raptors offense will be far more potent when he's on the floor.
The move now leaves the Raptors with very little wiggle room under the tax, and they still have a need at the backup small forward position and restricted free agent Greivis Vasquez to re-sign. They've decided to bring the band back together, so to speak, so there's a bit of a dice roll that everyone develops as hoped to make the team better.