Can the Raptors avoid the treadmill and make the leap into contention? | The Defeated
Ujiri can’t offer any lottery picks, but they have young talent on cheap deals (Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, Norman Powell, Delon Wright, Cory Joseph), and could even move a star player on a long-term contract in DeRozan (all that goodwill bought by Ujiri? Gone in an instant if he were to flip DeRozan.)
The Raptors have plenty to offer for teams looking to add tangible talent rather than the promise of picks.
Would something like Valanciunas, Ross, and Powell be enough to tempt the Sacramento Kings into giving up two years of DeMarcus Cousins? Or if the Atlanta Hawks tear it all down, could Ross and picks get back an expiring Paul Millsap? Perhaps the Philadelphia 76ers re-open discussions involving Nerlens Noel.
Either way the Raptors would be at the mercy of the market. Teams like Boston, Denver and Phoenix sit in pole position after spending years accumulating assets. If a team decides to start a rebuild by trading their star player, those three teams have the most to offer.
Even if the Raptors manage to complete a trade, they’ll most likely have to give up productive players to complete the deal (if nothing than to match salary since they’re over the cap.) Losing any of their nine rotation players would hurt in some way. Even losing Ross, a staple of the trade machine, would result in a loss of vital 3-point shooting. Contending teams don’t trade productive players because that’s why they’re contenders to begin with.
That leaves some type of move along the fringes. The Raptors might snag a useful role player with a pick and a cheap contract (Sullinger’s deal is good for up to $8 million of incoming salary). But so far, Ujiri has shied away from making these types of deals, and even when he’s pursued them around the past two trade deadlines, he’s found the price to be too high. And even so, are the Raptors a role player away from beating Cleveland?
Predictive or Predicament? Three Teams Poised for Regression | Basketball Insiders
The Raptors were dead last in the NBA for percentage of baskets assisted last year, relying heavily on Lowry and DeRozan to work their magic, and it could spell trouble in River City if either takes a step back. They’ll hope for better health from Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll, but injuries masked the fact that even once they returned, Toronto was a better team while both sat on the bench.
This is understandable for Carroll, who may have strained himself getting back in time for the stretch run, but it’s a more worrying trend for Valanciunas. Frankly, departed Bismack Biyombo was pretty clearly the more effective center within Toronto’s most used lineup combinations. Valanciunas is a highly skilled beast in the right situation; whether this is that situation is a valid question with DeRozan back on the books long term and limited touches to go around. Don’t be shocked to see the Raptors quietly gauge his trade market on a fair contract if they underachieve.
It’s all a bit concerning for a team that already exceeded their Pythagorean expectation (based on point differential) by three wins, then added precisely zero new talent in the offseason. Biyombo’s departure hurts, especially on defense, where the Raptors would have been a bottom-half team during the minutes he sat. Patrick Patterson and Corey Joseph are nice players who have nonetheless probably reached their value ceilings. Dwane Casey has proven capable of connecting with and motivating his team, but he is also relatively incapable of adjusting his approach when better teams clamp down on Lowry and DeRozan.
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Raptors are forecast to slip back next season | Raptors Rapture
Let’s also remember the Raptors played poorly in the playoffs. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were mired in dreadful shooting slumps, yet the team managed to scrape together Game 7 wins in their first two series. They even threw a scare into the Cavaliers by beating them twice in Toronto before the bubble burst.
The writers predicting regression both make much of the loss of Bismack Biyombo. Yes, it hurts that he’s moved on after a stellar playoff effort, but you can’t keep everyone. The reason Biyombo got so much playing time was the loss of Valanciunas to injury. A healthy JV can make a big difference in crunch time.
The Raptors might be better to start the season than last year’s team was. If Jared Sullinger can maintain his career averages, we’re immediately better on the boards. We now know Norman Powell can play in the NBA, as can Delon Wright when healthy.
Depth, familiarity, experience – I’ll take my chances with our group.
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