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The Toronto Raptors have lost two key players from last season's championship roster. Kawhi Leonard joined the Los Angeles Clippers while Danny Green signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. They will be heading into next season with a lot of uncertainty, and most people are wondering if they can even make the playoffs.
Losing Leonard and Green definitely hurt the Raptors' chances of replicating their success, but Masai Ujiri, the team's president of basketball operations, knew that he was taking a gamble when he traded for both guys last summer. Yes, they have won a title in historic fashion, but without those two, what is next for Toronto?
How good will the Raptors be next season?
We already know that the Raptors will not repeat as champions, but are they good enough to even make the playoffs? They still have the majority of the players from last season's core; Kyle Lowry is an All-Star, Marc Gasol can still provide decent numbers, and Serge Ibaka is still an excellent option as long as he's coming off the bench.
The answer to that question lies in the improvement of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, two players who played major roles for the Raptors in the playoffs, particularly in the conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Finals against the Golden State Warriors. If both youngsters will be able to prove they can take over the team, Toronto will definitely make the playoffs.
How far will the Raptors go? I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the second round.
Is it wise to keep the band together even without Kawhi?
Ujiri made it clear that he has no plans to trade Gasol, Lowry, and Ibaka, three players whose contracts will expire at the end of next season. At this point, it's hard to argue with him, because as previously mentioned, those three are still above-average veterans who can still contribute a lot for the Raptors.
It will all depend on what will happen to the Raptors in the middle of the season. If they have a winning record around December or January, they should ride with this group until the end. However, if they won't be competitive enough to be at least five games above .500 after their first 30-40 games, it will be time for them to blow things up and hit the rebuild button.
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Siakam, VanVleet, and probably O.G. Anunoby will be the Raptors' cornerstones over the next couple of years, and the team can build around these guys by trading for young prospects and draft picks. It is going to be painful to see Toronto go this route especially since it just won a championship, but if the first 40 games of the coming season do not bring good results, the Raptors will have no choice.
Why not go after Carmelo Anthony?
Alright, this is an unpopular opinion. I know everyone has heard all the stories about Melo and his ego, but think about this: The Raptors just lost Kawhi. Without a clear primary option on offense, wouldn't Anthony be a good fit?
Yes, the Raptors have Lowry and the emerging Siakam, but we've seen in the playoffs that those two are not enough to carry this team. If Melo is still 70-80 percent of who he once was, which is an unstoppable offensive force, Toronto will have someone who can carry the majority of the scoring load.
Anthony is still a very good player who just wasn't a fit on the previous teams he played with. He's not used to playing with other stars because he's used to being the star. That's the opportunity he will get with the Raptors, and it might be the perfect team for him to rejuvenate his career.
Again, this seems unlikely, but the Raptors should at least try to consider it.
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The Raptors were the lead characters in the NBA's Cinderella story last season. They went from underdogs to champions in a span of eight months, and they gave citizens of Toronto something to be proud about.
Their success might be short-lived, but the Raptors are still the 2019 NBA champions, and that will never be taken away from them.
