Looking to add shot blocking after letting Amir Johnson walk, the Toronto Raptors have agreed to sign Bismack Biyombo to a two-year, $6 million deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Biyombo, the seventh overall pick of the Sacramento Kings in 2011, has been rather disappointing. He was traded to Charlotte on draft night and has hardly produced offensively in his four-year tenure with the team.
However, Biyombo, 22, is known for his shot blocking, averaging 1.6 blocks per game during his career. After the Raptors agreed to sign DeMarre Carroll to a four-year, $64 million deal, it is clear that they are looking to bolster their defense.
The Charlotte Hornets allowed Biyombo to become an unrestricted free agent by declining his qualifying offer. The four-year player has averaged 4.4 points and 6.1 rebounds as a member of Charlotte, playing 21 minutes a game.
In Toronto, Biyombo figures to play backup to Patrick Patterson and Jonas Valanciunas. He is long and athletic enough to provide rim protection for the Raptors, who feel that their interior defense was one of the biggest reasons to their postseason downfall.
Despite winning 49 games and placing fourth in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors were ranked 26th in opponent field goal percentage, which was worst among playoff teams. During the postseason, they were dead last in that category. Biyombo, along with Carroll, could considerably help Toronto improve itself in that category.
The Raptors may not be done with their frontcourt depth just yet. Although they haven’t shown interest in any other players at the moment, Biyombo cannot be their only answer. Next, they may need to add a big man who could provide offense as well, perhaps Josh Smith, Luis Scola, or Jason Smith.
It hasn’t been a huge offseason for the Raptors, but they are slowly signing pieces that could improve them in areas they faltered in last season.