What’s Next For The Toronto Raptors?

Decisions…decisions…decisions…

After a disastrous ending to their 2022-2023 campaign, the Toronto Raptors front office and fans are left scratching their heads at what could have been. 

A talented team that many predicted to make the playoffs with ease crashed out of the play-in tournament. Before the season started, Vegas predicted 46.5 wins for Toronto, but they ended with a measly 41-41 record.

Heading into the offseason, the Raptors must re-evaluate their decisions from the trade deadline. In a last-ditch attempt to turn the season around, Toronto bought at the deadline, surprising many around the league. They brought in a true center, Jakob Poeltl, and had good results.

However, the cracks started to show, and the Raptors regressed, barely managing to make the play-in tournament. It became clear that this team was not working, and something had to change this offseason.

Below we discuss three key decisions Toronto must make over the next few months.

The first decision the Raptors will have to make is if they should re-sign their current players, retool a few pieces around them, or blow it all up and rebuild from the start.

Re-signing would require running it back with primarily the same team. This could leave Toronto vulnerable to mediocrity for the next decade. After all, being in the middle of the pack is the worst position in sports. On the other hand, a rebuild would require extreme patience from a front office that has made it clear they want to compete.

A dream scenario would be striking gold and winning the Victor Wembanyama lottery, but Toronto can’t rely on that with just a 1% chance of getting the first overall pick.

So what’s next? 

Many fans called for a retool around Scottie Barnes at the trade deadline, which the front office ignored by adding Poeltl. They should revisit that idea, as Barnes will only improve, and his timeline does not fit the rest of the starting lineup.

Regardless, a clear vision with tangible steps needs to be developed before they can make any other decisions.

We all knew Nick Nurse was a rockstar, and over the last few weeks, he solidified that with his best impression of The Clash. Nurse made headlines earlier this month when he announced he would contemplate his future with the Raptors this offseason.

After deciding what to do with its roster, Toronto must immediately address its coaching situation. Nurse has been coaching with the team for ten years (five as assistant, five as head coach), and it will be a significant change for the franchise if he leaves. 

The 55-year-old seemed to have lost the dressing room this season, with multiple reports of players not enjoying their roles. Furthermore, he has faced criticism for running his starters into the ground with 40+ minutes a night and an inability to adapt his style of play.

Toronto was inconsistent and didn’t show up as a team when it mattered most. They surrendered a 19-point lead to Chicago in the play-in game. With just one playoff series win without Kawhi Leonard, Nurse has to take some blame.

It will be crucial for the Raptors to figure out their coaching situation because if Nurse stays, the roster will go through changes.

After deciding whether to run it back, blow it up, or retool for the future, Toronto will be left with a free-agent frenzy. Regardless of Nurse, multiple contracts need to be addressed.

Firstly, the elephant in the room is Fred VanVleet’s contract. He has publicly stated that he would decline his player option, making him an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The 29-year-old had a down year compared to usual but should still command a deal similar to Jalen Brunson’s four-year, $104 million contract.

Next, Gary Trent Jr. and Poeltl are entering free agency. Trent took a step back this season due to a reduced role and hinted that his time was up in Toronto. Poeltl mentioned how much he enjoyed his short stint with the Raptors but said, “Anything can happen in a crazy NBA summer.” Both players will undoubtedly listen to other offers and can be solid additions to contending teams.

Lastly, Pascal Siakam is entering the final year of his contract. He is coming off his best statistical year to date, averaging career highs in points (24.2) and assists (5.8) per game. The 29-year-old also made his first All-Star appearance this season. Toronto must decide whether they want to offer him a supermax contract in the offseason or trade him for future assets.