What the Toronto Raptors need to do to win the NBA Finals in the next five years

No. 5: Trade for a third star

The Toronto Raptors currently have a "third star" in RJ Barrett, and given how well he played down the stretch for Toronto and how he is dominating for Team Canada at the Paris Olympics, there is some hope that he will continue to level-up and become an All-Star level of player. It's possible.

It's also unlikely, given his career to date and the limitations to his game as a shooter and shot-creator. He's not an elite athlete, and he's merely "really good" as a scorer and passer. He could put it all together at this point in his career, but he is more likely to be a very good player who isn't quite to the level of driving high-end team success. Paying Barrett like a top-tier star will be problematic if Toronto wants to win it all.

Barrett likely will instead be the mechanism to acquire another star. It's unlikely a top-5 type of player is available such as when the Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard and got a healthy playoffs from him, but the Raptors will have the draft capital to attach to Barrett and a prospect like Gradey Dick or Jonathan Mogbo to go out and get an All-Star to round out the core.

That move may happen early on, but more likely it happens close to the end of this swing for the top. If the Raptors do have a superstar on their hands in Scottie Barnes, and if Immanuel Quickley does realize his upside to get into the All-Star conversation, then capitalizing to add the missing piece can put them in position to truly make a run at a title.

Could that all happen in the next five years? It's unlikely but possible. That describes nearly every team's quest for a title, so Toronto is not shooting any higher than anyone else.