B/R once again calls for Raptors rebuild despite Masai Ujiri’s stubbornness
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors might need to make some trades at some point in the regular season, as they have four rotation players who could hit free agency and aren’t able to compete for a championship. That being said, Masai Ujiri will let Darko Rajakovic experiment with Pascal Siakam and the rest of the roster in the first few games.
With the team’s bench still decidedly below average when compared to the rest of the league and the team lacking long-term tentpoles outside of Scottie Barnes, fans and media talking heads may not have the saint-like patience that Ujiri has shown over the years.
Considering that Toronto doesn’t currently own their first-round draft pick (if it falls out of the top six selections) and has struggled to find a balance between Barnes and Pascal Siakam, the idea of starting over and selling off their best pieces could be more appealing to this front office.
In an article meant to surmise what every team will do from a trading perspective this season, B/R’s Andy Bailey projected that Toronto would sell off some of their veteran players and begin a proper rebuild relatively soon. This theory is by no means unique, and it might gain steam if they keep losing.
Speaking of overrated, what Masai Ujiri has done with the Raptors is borderline criminal. He's continued to run it back with a play-in team, and he'll likely lose those assets for pennies on the dollar after overvaluing them for years.
— Greg Hrinya (@GHrinyaNBA) October 31, 2023
B/R believes Masai Ujiri and Toronto Raptors will sell top players.
Rajakovic hasn’t set the scoreboard on fire in the first few games he’s had in charge of Toronto, mostly due to poor shooting. Ball movement is being prioritized, and the team’s transition game has been much better, but the fits just don’t look right at all.
If this team clicks with Rajakovic at the helm, that could mean Ujiri will be motivated to keep everyone together. Siakam is still one of the best in the game at his position, OG Anunoby looks terrific early on, and Gary Trent Jr. will play a vital role as a bench gunner.
If they start taking, however, the Raptors hold in their hands the potential to get multiple premium draft picks and young players on rookie contracts. Stockpiling those two is the endgame every general manager tries to achieve.
The Raptors aren’t going to win as currently constructed, and they won’t be able to turn things over to Barnes with so many ancillary pieces hanging around. Such a move would be tough for some to swallow, but necessary