The Toronto Raptors are embarking upon an offseason that will be one of the most pivotal in the history of the franchise, as their poor record last year has them staring at a fork in the road, with one path leading towards a rebuild and one towards a retooling in pursuit of a championship.
The Raptors have some major questions they need to answer. Will free agent point guard Kyle Lowry be back? Can they find a new starter at center after some poor production there last year? What will become of their bench?
As last year proved, the Raptors can’t just expect all the jigsaw pieces to fall perfectly into place. Things can, and will, go wrong for Toronto, as the last season has proven. The Raptors just need to make sure that they execute a few very key objectives.
If they fail to do that, they could end up once again rooted to the bottom of the Atlantic standings. These 3 outcomes would be horrible for Toronto, as it becomes even tougher for the squad to turn around and contend in 2020-21 despite having a draft pick as high as No. 4.
3 scenarios the Toronto Raptors need to hope never come to fruition.
3. No cheap free agent centers come to Toronto
The Raptors don’t have the best odds at landing Evan Mobley in the draft, meaning that they will have to likely opt for one of the centers on the free agent market. If the Raptors are in the mood for a rebounder or a shot blocker, they won’t be short on options.
In addition to a Raptor acquisition that hit the market in Khem Birch, players like Knicks defensive stopper Nerlens Noel and Bulls standout Daniel Theis could be in line for some paydays. However, the Raptors won’t be the only team vying for their services, and there is a chance that they come away empty-handed.
Daniel Theis making his mark in his @chicagobulls debut❗️ pic.twitter.com/2gpM2pYTlp
— NBA (@NBA) March 30, 2021
The Toronto Raptors need to secure at least one center.
The poor production of Aron Baynes has been documented to the point of nauseation, and while Freddie Gillespie was impressive during his first NBA minutes, it’s fair to question if he can handle being a full-time backup center in the league at this point in his career.
Adding a new center is a must, and while the Raptors will have plenty of cash to splash at their disposal if they can fiddle around with the salary cap a tad, they will still have plenty of competition for some of these players. Solving the Kyle Lowry situation is the top priority, but getting a center is a FIRM No. 2 on the priority sheet.
2. Gary Trent Jr. is not retained
The Raptors were able to flip Norman Powell to the Portland Trail Blazers with the aim of getting Trent in return. A younger, cheaper version of Powell with plenty of great basketball left, Trent looks like either an ideal sixth man or starting shooting guard for a Toronto team that needed to replace Powell’s scoring.
However, Trent is on the market as a restricted free agent, meaning that he can sign offer sheets with other teams and leave it up to the Raptors to decide if they want to match that offer and bring him back. While Toronto very clearly wants to bring Trent back, his skillset will be very attractive to many teams.
What kind of offer will Gary Trent Jr. get in free agency?
Teams like the Mavericks or rival Knicks need to surround their stars with shooting, and they could easily decide to renounce the rights to some of their own free agents to make a run at a quality shooter and scorer like Trent.
Considering his age and production, Trent likely will end up with a contract between $15 million and $17 million per year. Even an offer sheet exceeds that, Toronto should match.
The Raptors could spin letting Trent go as a money-saving move to avoid being tied down financially, but unless the offer is so astronomical it borders on the ridiculous, they need to find a way to retain him. His offensive ceiling is just too high.
1. Kyle Lowry leaves in FA for nothing
Lowry has spent the better part of the last decade as the leader of the Raptors, cementing his status as one of the greatest players in franchise history, if not the undisputed greatest. However, his run in Toronto could come to an end this offseason.
Lowry, who has said that he is eyeing a multi-year deal that will compensate him well, may not necessarily match up with Toronto’s timeline, as they could use their high draft pick to reboot and get younger at the point guard position. If Lowry has his heart set on leaving, the Raptors need to at least make sure they get something in return.
The Raptors need to get something for Kyle Lowry.
The 76ers, who play in Lowry’s hometown of Philadelphia, could be an intriguing option from a schematic point of view. The fact they are chasing a championship next year and could offer a player like Ben Simmons in return doesn’t hurt either.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger mentioned the Heat, led by Lowry’s good friend in Jimmy Butler, as a potential sign-and-trade destination. In return, Hollinger thinks that a deal centered around 2020 first-rounder Precious Achiuwa could appeal to Toronto.
The Raptors need to make a run at retaining Lowry, but watching him go to a potential rival without Toronto getting anything in return would be a gut punch. At least if they can pull a sign-and-trade off, they can get some compensation for letting the future Hall of Famer leave.