The Toronto Raptors have gone from being NBA champions to a fringe playoff team in the blink of an eye.
After losing Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, the Raptors can pretty much kiss their championship hopes goodbye going into the 2019-20 campaign, and now, they are left with some major decisions to make.
Due to the overall weakness of the Eastern Conference, Toronto should probably still make the postseason next year, but it is certainly not a contender, and the roster could certainly change significantly between now and the February trade deadline.
So, here are the three biggest takeaways from the offseason for the Raptors:
3. They May Have to Trade Some Veterans
By losing Leonard, the Raptors have to come to grips with the fact that they are no longer contenders, and with an aging roster, they would likely be better off moving some pieces to recoup some value while they still can.
Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol are all entering the final years of their respective deals, and while they may not have a ton of value, Toronto could still get something reasonable in return.
Ibaka probably has the most value of the three, as he has the cheapest salary next season and can certainly help a contender thanks to his shot-blocking prowess and ability to spread the floor offensively.
The Raptors may not trade any of these players prior to the season, but they may very well be taking offers for at least one of those three between now and February.
2. Pascal Siakam is Now the Face of the Franchise
This is something that I doubt even Pascal Siakam expected a year ago. The guy who was merely known as a decent three-and-D player is now the Raptors' best player and could be on his way to becoming an All-Star at some point.
Siakam had a breakout 2018-19 campaign and was brilliant in the finals, and learning under Leonard for a year has certainly expedited his learning curve.
But now, Siakam will be tasked with being the face of the franchise in Toronto, and the Raptors need to prepare to build around him going forward.
Will Siakam ever be a No. 1 option? Probably not, but he has proven he can at least be one of the best players on a championship team, and with Leonard now playing elsewhere, look for Siakam's numbers to increase next season.
1. Toronto is Still Not a Desirable Landing Spot
Even after the Raptors won a title, Leonard did not seem to have any intention on re-signing, and it doesn't just stop at Leonard.
Toronto does not have a history of signing free agents, as it is in a different country and the weather is not exactly pleasant. As a result, the Raptors will have to further rely on Masai Ujiri making sneaky draft picks (like Siakam) or franchise-altering trades in order to get the club back to contending status.
Such is the life for cold-weather areas without much history in terms of basketball excellence or big-city allure. While teams like the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets can get away with it based on reputation (in the case of the Celtics) and the market (in the case of the Nets), squads such as the Raptors are left out in the cold, both figuratively and literally.
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