It was five years ago in 2019 that the Toronto Raptors won their first championship in franchise history. Things change rapidly though as the only player from that team still on the Raptors’ current roster is Chris Boucher. They traded two pieces from that 2019 team, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby prior to the trade deadline to the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks respectively.
2024 NBA Offseason Preview: What’s Next For The Raptors?
Season Recap
The bottom fell out from Toronto this season as they finished with a 25-57 record. That placed them ahead of just the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference. That was their worst record since they went 22-60 in the 2010-11 season.
Despite the poor record, there are building blocks on the roster. Scottie Barnes, the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year, was named an All-Star for the first time. He turns just 23 on August 1. 25-year-old Immanuel Quickley and 24-year-old RJ Barrett were acquired in the deal that sent Anunoby to New York. The two combined to average 40.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 10.9 assists after joining Toronto. Selected 13th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, Gradey Dick is still just 20 years old. He grew more comfortable in the offense as the season went along, averaging 12.5 points on 37.1% three-point shooting after the All-Star break.
The problem for the Raptors in 2023-24 was that they weren’t particularly good at either the offensive or defensive end. They finished 24th in offensive rating and 26th in defensive rating. They made just 34.7% of their attempts from beyond the arc, better than just three teams.
Projected Cap Space and Draft Picks
Over the Cap
The Raptors are in a projected 30 million dollar cap deficit. However, they will still have a full mid-level expectation to use in free agency.
19th and 31st Overall Picks
Primary Targets
Toronto’s first-round pick is via Indiana from the Siakam deal. They also possess the first pick of the second round.
Five of these seven players have had known workouts with the Raptors. The two that haven’t are George and Da Silva. George wasn’t mighty productive in his freshman season with Miami (Fl.), but he knocked down 40.8% of his three-point tries. Another accurate shooter from deep, da Silva connected on 39.5% from beyond the arc last season and 39.0% over the last three years.
Edey and Ware would allow the Raptors to improve their frontcourt depth. Edey is a mountain of a man (measured at 7’3.75”, 299 lbs. at the combine), and he won the Naismith Award each of the last two seasons as the nation’s best player. Ware is a seven-footer who was a double-double threat nightly and began dabbling with a three-point shot. Kolek led the nation averaging 7.7 assists per contest.
Tyson and Mogbo would be more likely to be targets for their second-round selection. Tyson has played for three different schools the last three years, but he averaged 19.6 points for California in 2023-24. Mogbo is a six-foot-eight forward who does his work from the inside, averaging a double-double for San Francisco last season.
Pending Free Agents And Possible Departures
Free Agents
- Bruce Brown Jr. (team option)
- Jordan Nwora (unrestricted)
- Immanuel Quickley (restricted)
- Garrett Temple (unrestricted)
- Gary Trent Jr. (unrestricted)
- Malik Williams (restricted)
Brown Jr.’s team option is for $23 million. More on him later, but reports are that the team is expected to pick it up.
With Quickley fitting in well after joining the Raptors, it would likely take an astronomical offer sheet from another team to pry him away. He reportedly wanted around $25 million a season with the Knicks who instead decided to trade him because they already have Jalen Brunson.
Trent Jr. signed a three-year deal worth $51.84 million with Toronto back in 2021. Still just 25 years old, a similar contract could be in line for the six-foot-five guard in the offseason. While his scoring average did dip last season from his first two full seasons with the Raptors, he made nearly 40% of his three-point attempts.
Trade Pieces
The Raptors are expected to not turn down Brown’s $23 million team option so his contract can be used in a potential trade. The 27-year-old joined Toronto last season from the Pacers in the Siakam trade. He averaged 9.6 points in 34 games after joining the team.
Boucher, the longest-tenured Raptors player, is now 31 years old. His minutes have decreased each of the last three seasons since he averaged a career-high of 24.2 in 2020-21. Toronto could potentially deal him for a second-round pick (or two) this summer or once next season’s trade deadline nears.
Realistic Offseason Targets
Trade
A Brown trade could register interest across the league. The Spurs, Hawks, and Warriors could all make the Raptors an interesting offer for Brown. The Spurs are looking for a connective guard next to Victor Wembanyama and Johnson might not be a long-term fit making this swap possible. Johnson is an intriguing wing for the Raptors’ rebuild. The Hawks could look to bring in another guard after likely trading Trae Young or Dejounte Murray. Hunter also offers the Raptors a solid wing for their rebuild. The Warriors are looking to upgrade their roster around Steph Curry. They would likely include draft picks due to Wiggins’ declining value.
Free Agents
If Brown’s team option is picked up, the Raptors won’t have more than the mid-level exception to hand out to a free agent. It is expected to be worth around $12.85 million.
The Raptors could look to two former Miami Heat players to utilize their mid-level exception. Martin has a player option for slightly more than $7 million that he will likely decline. The 28-year-old is a solid wing defender who averaged a career-best 10.0 points in 2023-24. The 27-year-old Highsmith has been yet another diamond in the rough find for Miami after he went undrafted. He’s somewhat similar to Martin (just a little larger), and he drained nearly 40% of his three-point tries in 2023-24.
Even if Quickley is retained, the Raptors can certainly use more point guard depth. That’s why Morris or Payne could be viable options. Morris was a regular starter in 2021-22 with the Denver Nuggets (while Jamal Murray was injured) and 2022-23 with the Washington Wizards. Previously seen as somewhat of a draft bust, Payne has become one of the more productive backup point guards in recent seasons.
