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The Toronto Raptors agreed to terms with free-agent forward DeMarre Carroll on the first day of free agency, the six-year pro revealed on social media.
According to multiple reports, the contract is worth $60 million over four years. The deal does not contain any options, according to ESPN's Jeff Goodman.
Assuming @Raptors gave DeMarre max 4.5% annual raises, his yearly salary will look like this pic.twitter.com/ICI88SksUT
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) July 1, 2015
Carroll's contract will make him the highest-paid Raptor, a stunning development for a player who bounced around four teams - and waivers - in his first four years in the NBA before finding a home in Atlanta.
In his first opportunity to log consistent minutes and start, the 28-year-old small forward averaged 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals over the last two seasons with the Hawks, posting a True Shooting Percentage of 58.9 that included nearly 38 percent 3-point shooting.
Improved shooting and Carroll's ability to defend the perimeter led him to emerge as one of the league's notable 3-and-D wings, playing a prominent role in Atlanta's run to the Eastern Conference Final following a franchise-record 60-win season.
The Raptors are coming off a franchise-record season themselves, winning their second consecutive Atlantic Division title with a 49-33 record. Their poor performance on the defensive end proved their undoing, however, as the team struggled over the final three months of the season and was eventually swept by the Washington Wizards in the first round of the postseason.
Carroll's presence, along with the selection of guard Delon Wright with the 20th pick in last week's NBA draft, should improve the defense, while Carroll's shooting should add space to a Raptors offense that often stagnated down the stretch.
Barring a follow-up transaction, the addition of Carroll likely shifts Terrence Ross to the second unit after a disappointing third-year campaign for the young swingman.
