Toronto Raptors: Three New Year’s Resolutions for 2021
#3. Land a Big Name in Free Agency
Though this past off-season was rather underwhelming for Toronto Raptors fans, Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster handled it carefully and strategically, saving cap space for this year’s upcoming free agency.
Now here we are in 2021. Many players who were expected to join the stacked 2021 free agency class have since signed contract extensions, including the Raptors’ plan A. So what now? Although there are still plenty of good players on the board, we all know who the Toronto Raptors had their eye on.
During the off-season, Raptors managed to re-sign many of their young homegrown talents, with Fred VanVleet’s deal structured to help the team preserve cap space for 2021.
I'm told VanVleet's 4yr/$85 deal (player option in yr 4) starts at $21.25 and then decreases by 8% in yr 2 (2021/22) before ramping up again. The drop going into summer of 2021 helps preserve Raptors cap space.
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) November 21, 2020
Cap flexibility came at a cost. The Toronto Raptors let Gasol and Ibaka, whose presence and leadership are missed now more than ever, walk away. But now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is off the table after signing a five-year $228 million supermax contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, what are the Raptors going to do next?
With tons of cap space and many players entering free agency or with a player option this year, it’ll be interesting to see how the Raptors utilize their abundant cap space. They need to make some moves if they want to be seen as contenders again.
Right now, it just feels like the Toronto Raptors are one superstar away from being competitive again. Trading is an option, but if the front office decides to wait for the off-season to acquire a star player, it gives the current core plenty of time to develop. Hopefully, they’ll be able to figure it out and build chemistry in the meantime.
Next. New Season, New Year: Big Things Lie Ahead for the Toronto Raptors. dark
Here’s to 2021!