Toronto Raptors: Each player’s likelihood to return next season
By Jeff Borsuk
The Toronto Raptors are NBA champions. However, many expect this to be a one-and-done title. What are the chances of each member of the squad returning to the team next season?
The Toronto Raptors defied the odds and conquered the league by dethroning the former champs. Now the crown is theirs to defend. In order to do so successfully, they need the right pieces to return.
This iteration of the Raptors is clearly the best version that has ever been assembled. Some players were essential to not just winning but also building a basketball culture in Toronto. The Raptors have big decisions to make and so do some of the players.
There will be players who continue on their Raptors journey, while others will be departing to play their trade elsewhere. We will examine the chances each member of the team returns for the 2019-20 campaign.
Nick Nurse
When Dwane Casey was relieved of his duties as the Raptors head coach, his assistant, Nick Nurse, was promoted to take his place. The move left some in the NBA scratching their heads, especially after Casey had just completed a season in which he won coach of the year.
As it turns out, Nurse was the right person for the job. Even as a rookie (in the NBA) head coach, he managed to lead the team to the pinnacle of the sport. Nurse is the franchise’s ninth head coach and it’s tough to see a scenario in which a tenth comes along too soon.
Nurse signed a three-year contract, which means that there are still two years remaining. While his decision making wasn’t perfect, he and his players looked great throughout the postseason. That leaves no reason to count him out for next year.
Chance at returning – 99 percent
Masai Ujiri
Ujiri was the architect of the 2019 championship roster. Since coming to the Raptors, they’ve steadily improved nearly every season. Now, seeking their own re-build, the Washington Wizards may be preparing to offer a staggeringly large deal to poach Ujiri, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. An offer that may pay up to $10 million per season and ownership stake in the team.
If the interest from Washington is that great, Ujiri would be foolish to turn down that many zeros. At minimum, he can use the offer to leverage the Raptors into a larger contract. MLSE would then have to decide whether Webster has learned enough under his mentor to take the reins himself, or if they would match the Wizard’s “Godfather” offer.