Toronto Raptors
Nobody really knows what to expect from the Toronto Raptors right now because they do not really have a set plan in motion. In 2019, the Raptors won their first ever championship, but since then, they have been stuck in-between being a true playoff contender and being a playoff “pretender” in the Eastern Conference.
This season was definitely one to forget for Toronto, as they finished 27-45, snapping their 7-season playoff streak and their five year streak of posting 50+ wins. Now, the Raptors have a lot of questions to answer in the offseason, starting with the future of Kyle Lowry.
At the NBA trade deadline, the Raptors explored trade opportunities for Lowry and almost had a deal done to send him to Philadelphia, but they pulled out at the last minute and kept the 6x All-Star. Now, Lowry is an unrestricted free agent and could sign wherever he would like this offseason, which is not good news for the Raptors.
They will likely explore ways to possibly bring him back, and they could very much still bring back their veteran leader on a short-term contract, but with the 4th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and ways to get younger, this may be exactly what Toronto looks to do.
With Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Chris Boucher, the Raptors have a ton of pieces in place to continue being a force in the Eastern Conference, which is why they could look to leverage this 4th pick in the draft to acquire a key talent at the guard position to replace Lowry.
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Oklahoma City is a team that could be highly interested in moving up in the draft, which is why a trade for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could potentially be in the works. It is unlikely the Thunder would move up in the draft at the expense of their young star, but it definitely does present them with a means to get more draft picks and long-term value.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is definitely a guy the Raptors should have their eyes on because of how versatile he is at the guard position. He can play with or without the ball in his hands and next to Fred VanVleet, the Raptors would have everything they need in terms of having a championship-contending backcourt.
