The Toronto Raptors are trying to pull off a roster transition without hitting rock bottom, reshaping their entire roster around Scottie Barnes and leaping back up into the playoff mix as early as this next season. That may not be the best approach for them to make, especially in a league where so many other teams are moving in that direction, but every signal from the front office is that they are trying to have their cake and eat it too.
That makes this summer a crucial one for flipping the roster. This past season saw Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby sent to new teams and key players like Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Bruce Brown brought on board. Now the next step is to continue revolving the roster around the new core and find the right pieces to add. That process will involve the draft and the trade market, but a key moment for this team will be how it approaches free agency.
The Toronto Raptors must avoid making some blatant free agency mistakes that could come back to haunt them
Teams trying to accelerate a rebuild are notorious for making massive errors in free agency, investing in the wrong players or overpaying for low-upside options. Ask the Toronto Raptors how they feel about signing DeMarre Carroll, or handing Otto Porter Jr. a guaranteed deal only to see him hit by injury after injury. How a team manages free agency can make or break them.
Let's look at three mistakes that the Raptors must avoid making in free agency this summer as they seek to further improve the roster, mistakes that could come back to haunt them down the road as they continue to build a sustain the next great Toronto team.