Fred VanVleet and the Toronto Raptors are officially in the middle of the most important stretch of the season. With a long homestand against beatable teams coming up, failing to perform well in these games could be enough to put the final nail in this team’s coffin as they chase a postseason spot.
What has become very apparent in the last few weeks, however, is the fact that this roster is going to look much different next season. On top of the fact that VanVleet, new acquisition Jakob Poeltl, and Gary Trent Jr. could all hit the open market, Masai Ujiri must be well aware of the fundamental flaws this team has from a roster construction point of view.
While the primary purpose of the next few games should be to compete for a postseason spot, Toronto must also use this stretch as a period of evaluation. They must find out which players will be around for the long haul and which can be tossed aside in a roster remake.
These four players could all be playing their final regular-season games with the Raptors in the next few weeks. As such, it is incumbent on Ujiri and Nick Nurse to figure out if their play during this stretch has earned consideration to be on next season’s team.
4 Toronto Raptors who are playing for their future.
4. Malachi Flynn
The Raptors have given Flynn three years worth of development, but nothing they have done has turned him into a player that will be expected to contribute much in the long term. Flynn will likely be playing somewhere else next season, barring the unforeseen.
Flynn’s 4.7 points per game and 37% success rate from the field are right on par with what his career averages have been to this point. That Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award is looking more like a flash in the pan than a sign he can be a high-end player.
Malachi Flynn may not be on the Toronto Raptors much longer.
The only chance Flynn has at getting back in Nick Nurse’s good graces is getting inserted back into the rotation (which is already unlikely) and showing efficiency that hasn’t been part of his game to this point. Even then, some might write it off as the product of a small sample size.
Flynn was viewed as a standout two-way player in the VanVleet or Kyle Lowry mold, but he lacked their penchant for clutch 3-point shooting and on-ball tenacity. He needs an act of God to stay on this team in an elevated role next season, and he is running out of time to prove his worth.
3. Will Barton
Barton has nothing guaranteed in the NBA beyond this season. While he was let go by Washington, the fact that he signed with Toronto over a rival like the Celtics just may go to show that he is not in a position where the rest of the league views him as an elite bench piece anymore.
Barton’s performance with the Raptors has been mixed at best, as he has yet to score in double-digits and appears to have been related to a role as a spot-up shooter for 12 minutes every night. Barton might be able to kickstart his NBA career with a strong finish to the season.
Can Will Barton remain with the Toronto Raptors?
This team needs shooting in the worst way, and they will likely gear their offseason strategy around the expectation of adding more talent from beyond the arc. If Toronto is going to add perimeter players, why not take a look at someone who has already been in town?
Barton mentioned that he has a strong connection with assistant coach Earl Watson, whom he became friendly with during the early days of his career in Portland. We’ll see if that connection is strong enough to earn him a second contract north of the border.
2. Gary Trent Jr.
Much like nearly everyone on this Raptors roster, you never know what you’re going to get on a given night. Trent can score like Ray Allen one night and Lavoy Allen the next. Having already been demoted to the bench for the second time this season, Trent may not be in Toronto’s long-term plans.
The anti-Trent camp will point out the fact that clunkers like his Los Angeles road trip showings can be fairly commonplace and will propose that paying a Sixth Man elite money is ridiculous. The pro-Trent side, however, will put forth the notion that this team is woefully unprepared to compete without Trent’s skillset. No draft replacement can match that.
Will the Toronto Raptors retain Gary Trent Jr. in 2023-24?
Trent is going to ask for a contract that will likely reach into nine figures. With Pascal Siakam able to get paid after the 2023-24 season, Jakob Poeltl likely being retained for a somewhat similar price, and Scottie Barnes likely being in line for a payday, Toronto might be hesitant to pay Trent.
Trent needs to spend the next chunk of games showing that his ability to shoot and create is irreplaceable on a Raptors team that is going to struggle to find replacements for him on a fairly modest budget.
1. Fred VanVleet
The Raptors will likely try everything in their power to keep VanVleet, much to the chagrin of a very vocal part of the fanbase. However, considering how VanVleet has underwhelmed for large chunks of the season, some poor play down the stretch could change hearts and minds in the front office.
VanVleet is still a very inconsistent scorer and shooter, and the Raptors may have some hesitation about paying a 6-0 point guard more than $30 million per season on a deal that will take him into his 30s. With Scottie Barnes potentially ready to handle ball-handling duties if he evolves like Toronto believes he will, is VanVleet going to be redundant?
Are the Toronto Raptors committed to Fred VanVleet?
VanVleet can be an offensive leader that no one can slow down at his best, but his bad games have been too frequent for Toronto to consider a nine-figure contract a formality. Stinking down the stretch might end up changing the calculus just a bit.
Expect VanVleet to be wearing Raptors colors. However, we’ve seen much nuttier and unusual things happen around this team. If they get outbid or turned off by another cold streak, he might just end up elsewhere.