Losing a franchise icon like Kyle Lowry always hurts. However, the sign and trade that landed Lowry in Miami last offseason netted the Toronto Raptors an intriguing young player in Precious Achiuwa, now a familiar face across Ontario sports betting.
In fact, based on research by OntarioBets.com where we used Basketball Reference.com to find the cap hit of every member of the 2022-23 Raptors roster and then divided that by each player’s total win shares from the 2021-22 NBA season, Achiuwa ranks as the biggest bargain on the team.
Raptors Roster Breakdown
What Makes Achiuwa Valuable
After only playing 12.1 minutes a night as a rookie with the Heat, Achiuwa’s role evolved significantly in his first season in Toronto. His minutes per game almost doubled to 23.6 and he cut his rate of shots at the rim in half, while expanding his range out to 3-point territory.
Although this reduced Achiuwa’s offensive efficiency somewhat, he still averaged 9.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while providing solid, switchable defense amid these usage tweaks (tweaks that should ultimately benefit his long-term development anyways).
Achiuwa's improvement may help the Raptors' odds on Ontario betting apps as the NBA season gets set to tip off next month.
Barnes, Boucher Also Provide Value
Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes burst onto the scene last season after the Raptors selected him fourth overall in the 2021 draft. He recorded more win shares (6.6) than any rookie since Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum in 2018 and led Toronto in total minutes played.
Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, making him just the 22nd rookie in NBA history to post a 15/7/3 season. At Caesars Ontario Sportsbook, Barnes is listed at +50000 to win MVP this season.
Originally an undrafted free agent who worked his way up through the G-League and played exactly one game with Golden State before becoming a mainstay in Toronto’s rotation, Chris Boucher represents one of the many triumphs of the Raptors player development machine.
Now, Boucher has put up back-to-back 6+ win share seasons off the bench and even with a new contract that pays him over $5 million more than last year, he still comfortably comes in on the top half of this list.
Best Of The Rest
Another former undrafted free agent, Fred VanVleet inherited the keys to Toronto’s offense when Lowry left.
VanVleet responded to the challenge with a career year that saw him earn his first all-star appearance. And with only a $21.25 million salary, he is one of the most cost-effective all-stars in the league, as 17 other point guards come in with a higher cap figure for 2022-23.
Although he failed to make the All-Star Game like VanVleet, Pascal Siakam still found himself on the All-NBA third team at the end of last season. It was his second career All-NBA selection and it came as Siakam continues to expand his game.
Despite the all-star snub, Siakam is still listed as a longshot MVP candidate at BetMGM Ontario Sportsbook (+10000).
The versatile forward led the league in minutes per game and set career marks in both rebounding and assists, as he finished 18th in the NBA in total win shares. But considering the Raptors have so many other value pieces and he makes over $14 million more than anyone else on the team, he falls towards the end of these rankings.
