Pros and Cons of the Toronto Raptors tanking for a star in 2022

Con: VanVleet and Siakam Aren’t Getting Any Younger.

Both at 27 years old, the Raptors’ vets in Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are in the prime of their careers. With their window to make another deep playoff run shrinking this season, the next few seasons cannot be used for development.

Both VanVleet and Siakam are under contract for the next few seasons, but even with them locked up long-term, they need reassurance that their faith was put in the right place. Neither player will benefit from a lengthy rebuild. Would it even make sense to keep them around if Toronto is prioritizing development?

The Raptors are relying on VanVleet and Siakam to shoulder much of the weight this season and into the future, but this can’t be done in vain. The Raptors will need to start showing signs of life to keep their star players engaged and motivated to keep building up the team they have had so much success with in the past.

Con: Couldn’t Finish at the bottom of the Standings if they Tried.

Aside from deliberately throwing games (which would cause more harm than good), the Raptors are simply too good to finish in the bottom of the barrel with teams in full rebuild mode such as the Magic, Rockets, and Pelicans.

The Toronto Raptors might not get the No. 1 pick.

With the upcoming draft class looking incredibly top-heavy, the Raptors would have to rely on luck in the lottery, similar to this past year. Trying to rely on a game of chance is never a safe move, and could leave the Raptors sitting worse for wear as a result.

It is still early into the season, but a stance needs to be taken within the Raptors organization. Whether it’s to sit back, take their lumps, and come back stronger next year, or to take matters into their own hands and make a playoff push, this decision needs to be concise. It needs to happen soon.