Raptors' early offseason moves all done with an eye on defence

Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri has made one thing very clear with his decisions at the draft and on the first day of free agency: last season's defensive issues will not stand, especially on the perimeter.

For all the good that came from Toronto's 2014-15 campaign, a defence that allowed 104.8 points per 100 possessions and ranked 23rd in the league was simply not going to cut it going forward.

Ujiri recognized this problem and by agreeing to terms Wednesday with free agent swingman DeMarre Carroll on a 4-year, $60 million deal the Raptors showed the strength of their intent in rectifying it. Carroll, soon to be 29, had a breakout year with the Atlanta Hawks averaging a career-high 12.6 points per game and shooting 39.5% from three-point range. Most importantly though, he's a lockdown perimeter defender that will undoubtedly improve Toronto's play on that end of the floor thanks to his toughness and energy.

The Carroll signing is just the next step in a process that Ujiri put into action less than a week ago at the NBA draft. That night the Raptors sent Greivis Vasquez, a limited defensive player, to the Milwaukee Bucks and then used the 20th overall pick to select Delon Wright. Wright, a 6-foot-5 ball-handling guard who played at the University of Utah, can defend both backcourt positions at a high level. Even second-round pick Ben Powell is a shooting guard known primarily for his defence.

There could be more significant changes on the way too. The Raptors are reportedly courting Wes Matthews, a 3-and-D wing who has spent the last five seasons in Portland, and selling him on the idea of playing alongside Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Carroll.

That would mean Lou Williams, a score-first guard who is also free agent, would certainly be moving on and more moves will likely follow to make the contract Matthews would receive fit under the salary cap. The per season number is expected to be between $12-$15 million even though Matthews carries some risk as he's recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered in March. The Raptors have around $10 million in cap space remaining following the addition of Carroll.

Toronto's early offseason moves are encouraging, but there's definitely still work to do to fill out the roster. Amir Johnson joining the Boston Celtics leaves the Raptors without a traditional power forward that plays close to the basket, but as the NBA continues to trend toward smaller lineups it matters less than it would have five years ago. With his ability to stretch the floor and willingness to be physical in the post, Carroll can fill that role for extended spells.

The 2015-16 regular season doesn't begin for another four month, giving Ujiri ample time to hand Dwane Casey a defensively-improved roster to coach. Just with the deals he's closed to date, Ujiri is already in a great position to deliver.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr