The Toronto Raptors have a handful of players under contract past next season; Gradey Dick, Kelly Olynyk, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl. The two players most important to their future, however, are technically not signed long-term.
Scottie Barnes will be handed a maximum rookie extension at the earliest possible moment this summer, but negotiations with Immanuel Quickley will be a bit more complicated. Toronto surely doesn't want to just guarantee him a maximum contract; he hasn't performed to that level yet in the league, and they need to hold onto some future flexibility as they build out the roster.
Not offering Quickley the max, however, opens the door for another team to swoop in and do so. As a restricted free agent the young point guard cannot simply sign anywhere that he likes; any contract he signs will need to follow certain rules, and the Raptors will have the opportunity to match it.
That may not scare away every suitor, and it is possible that a max offer from another team is too much for the Raptors and they let him go -- or, perhaps even more likely, forces them to match a deal they didn't want to match. Either way, Toronto has to pay attention to Quickley's other suitors before they steal either Quickley or the financial flexibility the Raptors are working to maintain.
Here are three teams with enough cap space this summer to make things interesting and the potential interest in a young point guard.
No. 3: Detroit Pistons
It is not entirely clear what the Detroit Pistons should and will be pursuing this summer. After 5+ years at the very bottom of the standings they do not have much to show for it, and they certainly have not found their No. 1 long-term star. Another tanking season may make the most team-building sense.
The organization seems ready to start winning, however, and that could make a maximum contract offer to Immanuel Quickley a possibility. He is young enough to grow with their young core alongside players like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, but at the same time established enough to help them start winning games. They have more money than they know what to do with, and using a large chunk of it to lure Quickley away is not the worst was they could spend it.