No. 1: Kyle Lowry
Our final entrant on this list is the most familiar one, a player who doesn't really need much background information for Raptors fans to remember his place on the team. It's at least not crazy to think that arguably the best player in franchise history could return to the team in free agency this summer.
Kyle Lowry joined the Raptors in 2012 and played nine excellent seasons for the franchise, and it surely holds a special place in his heart. Lowry left for the Miami Heat in 2021 and has been to the NBA Finals and has another shot at a deep run this year with the Philadelphia 76ers. It's possible he re-signs in Philly or looks to join another contending team this summer.
It's also possible that the 38 year old is open to a different phase of his career, one where he joins a young team and mentors the next generation rather than fighting to find the right situation to win a title, especially if that means a very small role for Lowry. He is an extreme competitor, so it seems more likely he would rather join a contending team, but will it feel the same if he's not on the court to be a part of it?
The Toronto Raptors organization would likely welcome Lowry back with open arms to mentor Immanuel Quickley and be a part of this team building its next great team. They could also afford to pay him more than the minimum, both an incentive to return and a nod to all that he brought the franchise over the years, including the 2019 title.
None of these signings are particularly likely, but each of them are possible, and taken together there is a decent chance the Raptors sign a former player of some kind in free agency this summer.