With the Milwaukee Bucks doing all they can to get Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign the super-max this offseason, the Toronto Raptors should start looking at other potential targets from the 2021 free-agent class.
The Milwaukee Bucks are breaking the bank and mortgaging the future to bring in Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s requested reinforcements. After their moves for Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic, it seems like Giannis may be on track to sign that super-max in the coming weeks. That Bogdanovic deal recently fell through which you just hate to see (unless you’re the Toronto Raptors).
It is possible though that Bogdanovic eventually signs a deal with the Bucks when he hits free agency this weekend. These moves have really hampered teams like the Toronto Raptors’ hopes to lure the Greek Freak to their city in 2021.
As an organization the Toronto Raptors front office must march on and come up with new plans on how to improve this team into a contender in the coming seasons. Unless they decide to go the trade route and try to pull a Kawhi like situation with James Harden, it seems like it might be smartest to stay the course and keep looking toward a potential historical 2021 free-agent class.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo commits to the Milwaukee Bucks franchise there is still a ton of superstar talent that will be available next summer. The Toronto Raptors’ current contracts and cap situation will give them the opportunity to maybe bring a couple of these players to Toronto.
Players the Toronto Raptors should be scouting for next summer.
SG Victor Oladipo – UFA
Victor Oladipo is a player that has been linked to the Toronto Raptors for the past couple of seasons. Rumors even surfaced recently that the Raptors were one of the teams that Oladipo told to “come to get me“. The Toronto Raptors have a real uncertainty at the guard position over the next few seasons even after drafting two guards Wednesday night. Fred VanVleet is far from a certainty to re-sign in the coming days and Kyle Lowry is a UFA come next summer and a potential trade candidate this season.
Victor Oladipo has had a rough couple of seasons with injury issues but when he plays he is one of the premier guards in the NBA. He is was also named to the 2018 all-defensive team which fits the Raptors mold for their ideal guard.
C Rudy Gobert – UFA
Another position facing extreme uncertainty for the Toronto Raptors is the center position. With Marc Gasol returning to play in Spain and Serge Ibaka maybe even a farther reach to bring back than VanVleet, that leaves Chris Boucher and Dewan Hernandez as the only remaining options at the position.
Rudy Gobert is really the Toronto Raptors’ dream player at center. A two-time defensive player of the year and a four-time all-defensive team selection this guy is one of the great rim protectors in the game.
SF Kawhi Leonard – PO
The golden boy comes home. What a story this would be. Kawhi Leonard fails to win with his wanted “superteam” and returns to the city of Toronto begging for forgiveness for not choosing the organization and city that accepted him and gave him everything. That may be a bit of a stretch, but it is definitely not out of the question that the Toronto Raptors circle back around to Kawhi next offseason and that the Fun Guy considers returning up North.
Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster have a lot of decisions to make in the coming weeks that will really show their hand on what they plan to do next summer. Unless they can pull off a blockbuster to make them competitive now, it is definitely smartest to stay the course and if Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t available tons of other game-changers will be.