The Toronto Raptors have pushed their chips into the center of the table in the last few offseasons, as they have refused to shop some of their best players while simultaneously pulling off a trade that netted them Jakob Poeltl at the cost of a lightly protected first-round pick.
Between the fact the Spurs own Toronto’s first-round pick this year unless it falls in the top six and the Raptors’ refusal to get more ancillary capital for some of their impending free agent studs, the Raptors are not as well equipped to build through the draft or ship picks away for stars as other fringe playoff teams in the NBA.
Bleacher Report ranks Toronto 18th in the league in terms of future draft assets at their disposal. That doesn’t sound too alarming at first, but it paints a very gloomy picture when compared to the rest of Toronto’s contemporaries in the league.
Of the 12 teams ranked below them, only one of them (the Hawks) would be surprises if they missed the postseason. Big-market contenders (Lakers, Clippers, Heat) and small markets with superstars (Nuggets, Bucks) are just some of the teams ranked below Toronto. Contenders like the Kings, Celtics, and Grizzlies all have more quality picks than the Raptors.
Latest @BleacherReport Ranking Every NBA Team By Future Draft Assets ---> Where does your favorite team stand?!?! https://t.co/TL760UMTAy
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) August 28, 2023
The Toronto Raptors need more draft picks.
The lack of picks is why the fanbase met Toronto’s inaction in trade discussions with so much venom. Everyone knows this team is not going to compete for a championship with this roster, and extra draft picks don’t materialize out of thin air.
Toronto could have traded OG Anunoby at the trade deadline, as they likely will only get pennies on the dollar in a deal this season due to his impending free agency. Toronto probably won’t trade either him or Pascal Siakam unless they can get multiple first-round picks in exchange for them.
The Raptors need to prioritize getting these picks. On top of the fact that Toronto is never going to be a hotbed free agent destination, these picks can be used to quickly restock the cupboard and add top young talent around some of their expected long-term contracts.
The Raptors are one rotten season away from true calamity, as they won’t be good enough to compete and won’t have the first-round picks to benefit from being bad. While it won’t get quite as bad as the late 2010s Nets in that area, the alarm bells have to be ringing in Toronto.