They have what they think are a few good men and no more need enquire.

Despite being allowed to load up on fresh bodies for a marathon training camp and pre-season that begins in earnest on Tuesday, the Raptors are content to stay with the 17 players they have obligations to at the moment.

League rules allow for teams to have a maximum of 20 players in camp and many teams get to the upper limit to ease the toll on veterans, give youngsters a chance to showcase themselves to other teams during exhibition games or to do favours for players they might be looking at in the distant future.

The Raptors have enough bodies, they have enough kids who need a heavy workload and they are quite satisfied being below the threshold.

“It’s a better way to get Bebe (Nogueira) and Bruno (Caboclo) enough reps all the way through training camp,” president and general manager Masai Ujiri said this week.

Noguiera and Caboclo are the two kids who will benefit the most from extensive work in practices and in games. Having other players around who may play the same position without a hope of making the team is silly.

Nogueira, the seven-foot Brazilian centre obtained from Atlanta in an off-season trade involving Lou Williams for John Salmons, isn’t likely to see much action once the season starts and could use all the work he can get.

The same goes for the six-foot-nine Caboclo, the Raptors’ surprising first-round selection in last June’s draft who is seen as a significant part of Toronto’s long-term future.

Both will get extensive work in camp and pre-season games, Ujiri said, before likely setting into roles as deep bench players once the regular season starts.

“They probably aren’t going to play a lot so we need to get them as much time as we can now,” said the general manager.

Ujiri also suggested there could be D-League stints in the future for each of the youngsters, but never for long. The Raptors would only send them down to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for a few days and only when the NBA schedule doesn’t allow for the Raptors to hold any serious practices.

Other than that, the wish is that both would get consistent teaching from coach Dwane Casey and his staff and work daily against NBA talent.

And having 17 players in camp takes away any concern about significant roster decisions and allows Casey to work with a squad that he knows.

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Given the contract status and roles of returning players and summer acquisitions, and barring any unexpected trades, the only “race” will be between Will Cherry, Greg Steimsma and Jordan Hamilton for a final open roster spot.

All three – a guard and two forwards – were signed to non-guaranteed contracts and only one is expected to be with Toronto when the season opens Oct. 29 against the Atlanta Hawks.

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