“Mixed Issues” As Strong Decision Take For unrestricted free Agency Hours Ago

He will now be able to pursue unrestricted free agency, but he made a strong choice to forego Jordan Nwora.

The Toronto Raptors never saw Jordan Nwora develop into a reliable rotation player, and it’s probable that the team will part ways with the 25-year-old this summer.

There are moments of pure genius in his work. It’s easy to understand why he has had many 30-plus point outings in his career after he hit two incredible pull-up three-pointers against the Orlando Magic earlier this year. He can occasionally provide the Toronto Raptors with a scoring package that they could definitely need.

But far too frequently, his spectacular scoring runs are masked by poor defense and dubious decision-making.

“He did not perform well enough in defense in the past,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković stated earlier this year. “On that, I’m really putting him to the test. He has to be putting in a lot more concentration, attention, and effort.

For Nwora, it never quite worked out.

During the last few weeks of the season, Toronto had a number of injuries and personal absences, but the 25-year-old forward was in and out of the lineup. He will now be eligible for unrestricted free agency, and it wouldn’t be shocking if Toronto decides to take a different approach.

Nwora just didn’t seem to be the right match for the business. While he was a league-average shooter, his assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.3 to 1.2 was concerning, and his defense could have used some work.

Nwora may be re-signed by Toronto on a minimum contract, but it is more probable that the two will file for divorce. The Raptors may release the 6-foot-8 forward and release his $5.7 million salary hold, giving them some more leeway in free agency should they decide to part ways with Bruce Brown and Gary Trent Jr.

Toronto is in a bad predicament since Nwora was included in the trade deal that the Raptors received in exchange for Pascal Siakam. Although it wasn’t anticipated that he would establish himself as a consistent member of the team, Siakam’s lackluster performance in Toronto makes the comeback seem much less satisfying.