Toronto Raptors
After posting five consecutive seasons with 50+ wins, including the franchise’s first NBA Championship, the Toronto Raptors have taken a step back as an organization and do not look like the same dominant team they once were. Losing both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka prior to the start of the season definitely left a big void on this team, but overall, they do not have much to be going with for the future.
Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby are all younger players on big contract-extensions, but outside of these guys, the Raptors do not really have much young talent that they can build with to turn this team back into a championship contender.
Toronto traded Norman Powell to the Blazers this season for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood, but they did not trade Kyle Lowry after being rumored to be close to finalizing a deal with both the Heat and the 76ers including the All-Star point guard.
Kyle Lowry is now 35-years-old and is in the final year of a $30M contract, which is why trading him would have been the best move the Raptors could have made. They could have received a couple of first-round picks and some high-level, young talents from either the 76ers or the Heat for Lowry, but instead, they will keep him until he becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
RELATED: NBA Trade Rumors: 76ers on ‘1-yard line’ on trade for Raptors’ Kyle Lowry
Nobody knows if Lowry plans on re-signing with the Raptors, but if he does not and goes elsewhere, the Raptors will really be regretting their decision to not trade him at the trade deadline, especially if they miss the playoffs this year like they are on-track to do.
The Raptors had a chance to bring in a ton of young, high-level talent at the trade deadline this year, but they failed to do so and now, could be facing a rebuild process with VanVleet, Siakam and Anunoby at the center of their rebuild.
