5 Moves the Toronto Raptors should make but probably won't
Pulling off a successful offseason as an NBA team generally takes a few different elements. One of those is having an organizational plan, and another is then executing moves that fit that plan. Even nailing individual moves can be unhelpful in the end if they don't all work together to move a team in one direction.
Before the Toronto Raptors can try to make specific moves, they need to be unified on what the overall goal of the franchise is right now. Are they trying to use their cap space, draft picks and trade assets to make the team better for 2024-25, to try and make the postseason with Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley? Or are they trying to zig while most of the league zags, moving off of veterans and making signings and trades with an eye toward maximizing their team in two or three seasons?
Their moves last season suggest they will likely pursue the former game plan, but they probably should be aggressively moving off of win-now players and trying to stockpile assets over the next year. The only team in the Eastern Conference likely to be rebuilding next season is the Washington Wizards, opening up an opportunity this summer for Toronto to get value on lose-now, win-later moves. Their veterans will be in high demand, their cap space can be used to facilitate other teams' trades, and their ability to win games next season can be set aside as they look to add a top draft pick in a strong draft.
Will the Raptors be open to such a game plan? It's unlikely given the steps they have already taken, but it's not impossible that they look at the landscape of the league and decide to turn the ship. Let's look at 5 moves the Raptors should make this summer...even if they probably won't.
No. 5: Shop Kelly Olynyk
The Toronto Raptors spent the middle of last season moving off of key veteran players, trading OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Dennis Schroder. Right at the trade deadline buzzer, however, they pivoted suddenly, sending out a late first-round pick to bring back veteran stretch big Kelly Olynyk and sign the Canadian big man to a new contract extension.
Front offices are generally attached to the players that they trade for, and as recently as February the Raptors seemed to value Olynyk more highly than many other teams. Yet some of the same reasons that Toronto likes Olynyk -- his skill and shooting at either the 4 or the 5 -- apply to many other teams, and one of them may come in with a large offer this summer for Olynyk.
If that's the case, the Raptors should be willing to move on from him. For all that he does seem to be a good fit next to Scottie Barnes, Olynyk is also 33 years old and will be even older when the Raptors are ready to win games. He could be a beneficial veteran voice and floor-spacer as this young core grows, but if an offer comes in that values Olynyk highly the Raptors should be open to puling the trigger.