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You play GM: Decide the fate of the Toronto Raptors offseason

By Mike Bossetti

Toronto Raptors - Masai Ujiri (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
Toronto Raptors - Masai Ujiri (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors – Kawhi Leonard (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Make the Holiday trade

For the Raptors, you just added another big-time two-way player to the starting lineup. As someone who can play and defend both on and off the ball, Holiday is a perfect fit next to Lowry.

This postseason showed that the Raptors need another player who can create their own shot. Holiday gives the Raptors someone who can create looks when needed, and feel comfortable working off-the-ball.  As a true two-way player, he also gives them a defensive upgrade to Danny Green.

It’s hard to picture a better basketball-fit than Holiday. The Raptors lose depth and future assets but should enter 2019-2020 with the best starting five in the league.

With Holiday, the Raptors roster now looks like:

  • Point Guard: Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet
  • Shooting Guard: Jrue Holiday, Danny Green
  • Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard, Malcolm Miller
  • Power forward: Pascal Siakam, Chris Boucher
  • Center: Marc Gasol, Dewan Hernandez

It’s reasonable that,  for the time being, the Raptors will enter the season with only 14 players. Their tax bill is already through the roof and the need of their 15th spot would likely be based on injury.

That means — assuming the team keeps Boucher, Miller, and Hernandez–the team still has four roster spots available.

As a contender, Toronto will be able to attract veteran players looking for a ring, more than younger players looking for playing time. As a result, their free-agent pool will look older and better than most.

Toronto does still have the Taxpayer’s Mid-Level Exception, but whether they use it is extremely questionable. For the time being, let’s assume they try to round out the rest of the roster with veteran’s minimums.

Toronto still needs a backup center, a third-string point guard, two wings, including one with real size.

Let’s move forward with trusted veterans Kyle O’Quinn, Shelvin Mack, Thabo Sefolosha, and Jodie Meeks, although you can really choose whoever you’re able to sign for a minimum. Again noting, it is possible Toronto will use some of their Mid-Level Exception if necessary.

That means the final roster you’ve chosen is:

  • Point Guard: Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Shelvin Mack
  • Shooting Guard: Jrue Holiday, Danny Green, Jodie Meeks
  • Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell, Malcolm Miller
  • Power forward: Pascal Siakam, Thabo Sefolosha, Chris Boucher
  • Center: Marc Gasol, Kyle O’Quinn, Dewan Hernandez

Not happy with the results? Feel free to start back over.