Toronto’s veteran leader is staying put.
Garrett Temple has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Raptors, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Temple, 38, has been in the NBA for 14 years — spanning 743 games with 12 different teams.
The undrafted guard has been with Toronto since last year signing with the club ahead of the 2023-24 season. And although he only stepped on the floor 27 times as a Raptor, averaging 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and one assist in 10.7 minutes, his impact as a locker room leader was unquestionable.
Temple has been recognized by both the staff and players as someone the team respects and values as a veteran. And during multiple injury-riddled stints for the Raptors this past year, Temple stepped into multiple positions with no questions asked.
One example came on March 27 against the New York Knicks when he logged 27 minutes as Toronto’s impromptu sixth man. He finished that game with 15 points, going 3-of-6 from downtown and racking up six assists and two steals.
The vet is also the NBPA vice president, offering a now much younger Raptors squad a person to lean on when acclimating to the early challenges of being an NBA athlete.