The Toronto Raptors are the NBA Champions. What are the chances of them repeating the feat next season, and what would it take for that to happen?
The fate of the Toronto Raptors rests solely in the hands of one man; Kawhi Leonard. No pressure there.
If the Raptors have any hope of repeating following their first-ever NBA championship, it is tied to the impending free agency decision of Leonard and the chain of events that it could bring.
For the duration of this article, Kawhi Leonard has re-signed with the Toronto Raptors. Let’s call it a two-year deal with a player option for a third year. Hooray, the world is a happy place.
The details don’t necessarily matter, what matters is that the Raptors have now tied down the best player on the planet with aspirations of repeating as champions. Again, hooray, a very happy place indeed.
Keeping Kawhi means the goal remains the same as before, and therefore the Raptors will look to keep their winning core intact. That means re-signing another big free agent this off-season in the shape of Danny Green.
Green was vital to the Raptors success this season, providing constant defense on the perimeter while shooting 45-percent from three in the regular season. His consistency wavered in the postseason but the Raptors championship run isn’t attainable without Green’s presence on the team.
Next up is Marc Gasol, who has a player option for next season worth $25,595,700. Whether he opts into that deal or negotiates a new deal — maybe something in the region of a 3-year $45m is entirely your decision, but Gasol re-signs with the Raptors.
Sure, he’s a year older but for the first time in a long time, Gasol heads into an NBA season as a largely secondary figure in terms of offensive output. He won’t be relied on as heavily as he was during his time in Memphis, where he and Mike Conley were the two cogs that kept the team rolling.
Gasol still proved himself to be more than an adequate defender this postseason, providing stellar defense against Nikola Vucevic, Joel Embiid, and DeMarcus Cousins.
Overall, the Raptors will be looking to keep their core together. Don’t expect much of a drop off from the leader of the team, Kyle Lowry, and expect another jump from Pascal Siakam as he makes his ascent to superstardom.
The bench will largely remain the same, save for a few adjustments but Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell will be ever-present. Take into account the return of sophomore wing OG Anunoby finally making his return to the court after a tough second season. He still has the potential to be a special player.
Simply put, the Raptors remain the current NBA Champions and if they keep their core together, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be viewed as the favorites for the title. You can bet on Masai Ujiri making smart moves to improve the team in the offseason. He’s a man who will never want to rest on his laurels, always willing to make whatever move is necessary. Ujiri, like this team, is a winner.
But, outside of the organization, there’s a lot to contend with. The Philadelphia 76ers will look to re-sign Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, keeping their uber-talented core together. The Sixers ran the Raptors extremely close this postseason, and probably feel hard done by. The Milwaukee Bucks will also be looking to bounce back from heartbreak in the Eastern Conference Finals, and soon-to-be MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, will have revenge on his mind.
Out in the Western Conference, things could be looking completely different come October. The Warriors will likely be without Klay Thompson until February and will be missing Kevin Durant for the whole year — assuming the two opt to re-sign in San Francisco.
And of course, you can’t afford to look past the Los Angeles Lakers, who have just acquired Anthony Davis for a king’s ransom, pairing him with LeBron James. Sure, they might struggle to fill out their squad but having two greats on the same team will be a bonus nonetheless.
Still, the Raptors are the champions and you can never count out the champions.