After the departure of Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors made quite a few moves this offseason. How do they grade individually?
The 2019 offseason was perhaps the most important summer in Toronto Raptors history. Fresh off an NBA Championship, the team faced a range of outcomes a mile wide. If Kawhi Leonard returned, they would be championship contenders, perhaps even favorites. If Kawhi left, the team faced the possibility of a full-fledged rebuild.
In reality, the team split the difference. Of course, Kawhi left to Los Angeles, and Danny Green followed him (sort-of, but not really). But the team elected not to face a full-fledged rebuild — at least for now.
With most rosters already set by the time Kawhi had made his decision, Masai Ujiri decided not to make any rash decisions. He didn’t sell of Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka. Instead, he made a few moves around the margins for a team continuing to compete next season.
However, even while looking to compete next year, the Raptors made their moves with the future in mind. Toronto acquired six players this offseason, all of which were 24 or under. Balancing the present and the future is something Masai Ujiri has done throughout his tenure; this year appears to be no different.
Toronto added multiple pieces this offseason, all on low-cost deals. Even after the departure of Green and Leonard, the team didn’t have any cap space to work with, and as a result, were limited to using their Mid-Level and Bi-Annual Exceptions to sign talent. The two exceptions total just under $12.9 million. Toronto used more than $11 million of that.
Toronto didn’t enter this offseason with a ton of resources or much clarity of what they were doing. Despite that, they still managed to make several solid moves around the margins. The franchise didn’t get better this offseason. However, they did do relatively well compared to the resources they were handed.
How did the moves grade individually? There were some solid moves and some which left more to be desired.
Please note our grading scale: F is indefensible, D is bad, C is average, B is a good move, A is a real difference-making move. A “C+” is not a bad move. It’s a slightly above average move.