Report: Raptors sign G/F Joe Wieskamp to bolster depth
Coming to Toronto on a 10-day contract, Wieskamp should bring some shooting touch to the struggling Raps bench.
While it may not be the big move the Toronto Raptors probably need to make, the team did make a move on Friday to address one of its most glaring weaknesses this season.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Raptors will sign Joe Wieskamp, who most recently played for the G League’s Wisconsin Herd, to a 10-day contract.
The Toronto Raptors are signing G League G/F Joe Wieskamp to a 10-day contract, his agents Kyle McAlarney and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Wieskamp played 29 games with the Spurs a season ago.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 6, 2023
Originally drafted in the second round (41st) of the 2021 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Wieskamp signed a two-way contract that was eventually converted into a full deal. But he played just 29 games with the Spurs, and was waived ahead of the 2022-23 season.
A 6’6” forward, Wieskamp does one thing really well: shoot the ball from three-point range. He shot 41% from downtown in college, and although that didn’t fully translate into the NBA — just shot just 33% with the Spurs (14-for-43 in those 29 games) — he’s shot the ball well from distance in the G League (37% across this season and last, including 41% in 11 Showcase Cup games this season).
Is that enough to crack Nick Nurse’s roster? Probably not. Wieskamp hasn't made his rep as a defender, to be sure, and that remains top of mind for the Raptors; their schemes are famously (infamously?) hard to master and Nurse has never shown a long leash. (Unless he’s got a soft spot for guys from Iowa??) In any event, it’s a 10-day flyer during a home stand so there’s no better time to give a player a shot, and why not give it to one who addresses such a big need?
Wieskamp has basically delivered as advertised in 28 G League games, A good volume of 3s at a good percentage, strong offensive rebounding, not great defense but enough steal/block activity to be a non-zero. Shot poorly in NBA shot with Spurs but smaller sample.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) January 6, 2023
The Raptors are second last in the league in three-point percentage, and of course, are coming off a historically awful shooting night on Wednesday, where they just 2-for-23, and 0-for-8 from downtown, in the first quarter of their eventual loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
If Wieskamp can hit his shots in whatever opportunity he gets, he’ll be a welcome addition.