When Cory Joseph was a little kid, the hoop in his driveway in Pickering became the basket at the Air Canada Centre; the pavement beneath his feet, hardwood. And when he’d pull up to shoot, in his boyhood imagination, he’d be draining a buzzer beater for his favourite team.

“You know, ‘Five, four, three, two, one. He scores! Raptors wiiiiinnnn!’ ” recalled Joseph, sharp-dressed and grinning at the centre of a crush of journalists holding microphones in his face.

A grown man now, the fancy of a young kid from the suburbs is an official reality: the Toronto Raptors announced Thursday that they have signed Joseph to a four-year contract that’s reportedly worth $30 million.

“I’ve always dreamed to join this organization. This one particularly,” Joseph said. “I thought it over in my head, I still don’t know how I’m going to feel when I put that jersey on and I go out and play that first game for the Toronto Raptors. It’s still kind of surreal to me. I got to let it settle in a bit.”

The 23-year-old point guard is one of four high profile acquisitions for the Raptors since free agency started July 1. With Greivis Vasquez, Lou Williams and Amir Johnson signing elsewhere, the Raptors have picked up Joseph, former Atlanta Hawks wing man DeMarre Carroll, 6-foot-9 centre Bismack Biyombo and veteran power forward Luis Scola.

Joseph, who was drafted 29th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 2011, spent his first four seasons as a pro in a star-studded lineup that included future hall of famer Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and sixth man extraordinaire Manu Ginobili. He joins Toronto as a strong backcourt defender who is expected to backup all-star Kyle Lowry at the point guard position.

Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri hailed Joseph’s arrival as a homecoming for a Canadian-born player who will attract a lot of attention for the team’s fan base. But Ujiri added that it’s not just Joseph’s passport that made an appealing prospect.

“He didn’t get picked up just because he’s Canadian,” Ujiri said. “He got picked up because he’s a good basketball player and there is a role that we need to fill, and hopefully he meets that opportunity.”

The Toronto-born point guard’s NBA credentials were also a strong selling point, Ujiri said, referencing how Joseph won a league championship with the Spurs in 2014 and developed his game under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich.

“You couldn’t ask for anything better than what this guy has gone through. Play for one of the best coaches in the world, ever, and one of the best organizations in the world, ever. What more could you ask for? . . . It’s a blessing for us that he has gone through that and we are able to get him now.”

Asked about further off-season changes — the Raptors still have two open spots on the 15-man roster after waiving point guard Luke Ridnour on Thursday — Ujiri said the team won’t rush any deals, but is willing to consider using Toronto’s four first-round draft picks over the next two years if the right trade comes along.

“It’s one of those things where you wait and see,” he said.

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