The teams left to fight for an NBA championship this season represent very different roster-building approaches. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder were largely built through the draft with selections like Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams panning out beautifully. Both teams made some savvy trades, but most of their talent stems from making good use of draft picks.
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, mostly built their rosters with trades and free agency acquisitions. The Cavs only drafted one of their four best players. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Jarrett Allen were all acquired in trades. The Knicks also traded for three of their four best players, and Jalen Brunson joined the team in free agency.
The Raptors already have two high draft picks that worked out pretty well with Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, but they won’t get any more top picks if everything goes well and they remain firmly established in the playoff picture. The Cavs’ and Knicks’ success proves that they are still on the right path, though.
Both teams showed that you don’t have to build solely through the draft to build a contender. Improving the roster by taking advantage of other teams’ moves—the Cavs landed Allen when they helped facilitate the trade that sent Harden from Houston to Brooklyn—and risking some big swings is also a viable approach. And that’s what the Raptors will have to pull off.
The Raptors have been careful with their assets
The Raptors own all of their first-round picks through 2032 and their second-round picks through 2030. While the Raptors don’t expect to be in the lottery any time soon, those first-round picks are still valuable assets that could help them make a splash on the trade market.
All the Raptors seem to be waiting for is the right opportunity to acquire someone who will push the team to the next level. Many fans were hoping that the front office would make a move at this year’s trade deadline to bolster the team’s playoff chances. That never happened. Recent reporting by Michael Grange revealed that the Raptors actually tried to get Jaren Jackson Jr. but ran into a roadblock with Jakob Poeltl’s massive contract.
This summer should present the Raptors with a few opportunities to make some meaningful roster upgrades around Scottie Barnes. Giannis Antetokounmpo should be available, but the Raptors could also inquire about someone like Trey Murphy III or a Thunder guard if OKC is looking to move on from some players on its soon-to-be expensive roster. The question is just whether the front office is ready to go all-in on someone or if it wants to make some smaller moves and not overreact to one playoff appearance.
Add us as a preferred source on Google