Joseph returns home to join Raptors

According to multiple reports coming from ESPN, Joseph has agreed to sign a four-year, $30 million deal with the Toronto Raptors.

Earlier on Sunday the Spurs withdrew their qualifying offer to Cory Joseph, as reported by SAEN’s Mike Monroe. It was a salary cap move – they need the space for LaMarcus Aldridge – but it made Joseph an unrestricted free agent.

The Pickering native becomes the first Canadian to ever play for the Raptors in the prime of his career. The Toronto Raptors are not putting Joseph into a starter spot just yet. “We’re just waiting for that one to come”.

Rebuffed in a couple recent attempts to trade for Joseph, Toronto waited San Antonio out.

Taking Ujiri at his word, this is not merely a problematic case of tokenism.

“He developed his game offensively a little bit more each year”.

Due to injuries to both Patty Mills and Tony Parker last season, Joseph not only had to play 79 of 82 games last season, but he even had to start a few of them. While he never secured a permanent role, Joseph turned the corner previous year in his fourth season, setting career-highs in virtually every major category while shooting 50.4 percent from the floor.

Overall, Joseph will be a key part of the group of new players that are going to make the Raptors tougher, stronger and harder working on the defensive end.

Joseph averaged 6.8 points, 2.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds last season, appearing in 18.3 minutes per game.

More often than not, Joseph should be the first guard off Toronto’s bench, absorbing most of Vasquez’s minutes behind Kyle Lowry and some of Williams’s playing alongside the All-Star point guard.

As for Joseph, he might be able to earn anywhere from $3-5 million on the free agency market right now.