Newcomer Otto Porter Jr. eager to lend veteran voice to rising Raptors

When Otto Porter Jr. was considering an offer from the Toronto Raptors, he didn't have to look far for a scouting report.

"First thing he did [was call me]," Thaddeus Young said. "He said `Yo, Toronto's calling me, what's up?"'

Porter and Young were teammates for parts of two seasons from 2019 to '21 with the Chicago Bulls, and remained friends.

"I said 'Come on through, come on through, we're family over here,"' Young told Porter. "'Just come on through, sign the deal and let's go, we'll be ready to rock and roll."'

The two were reunited with the Raptors when Young signed a contract extension in Toronto this past summer, and Porter agreed to a two-year deal with the Raptors on the heels of helping the Golden State Warriors to an NBA championship.

Just a day into training camp at the University of Victoria, coach Nick Nurse is thrilled to have another veteran to guide his young roster.

"It's always super helpful," Nurse said. "Their experience, their wisdom, their composure, advice, all of the things that they can do because of their experience — think it was needed for our roster."

Day 001. Training Camp Vibes! <a href="https://t.co/gNeFJQG52g">pic.twitter.com/gNeFJQG52g</a>

The 34-year-old Young was the voice of wisdom last season after he was acquired from San Antonio for Goran Dragic. When he threw down a dunk in a game in March, his new young teammates good-naturedly called him "Thad Young Legs."

Young played 26 games with the Raptors, and the team felt the loss when he suffered a thumb sprain six minutes into Game 1 of the playoffs against Philadelphia.

But he soaked up the Toronto experience in his short time last season. His wife Shekinah and sons Thad Jr. and Taylor joined him in the media room at Scotiabank