Where do the Raptors go from here?
Following a horrific playoff series that ended in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Washington Wizards, that is the question on everyone’s mind.
Before any moves are made, however, there needs to be an evaluation of the Raptors’ current assets and those that may be available on the open market.
Here’s what the Raptors have going for them:
Expiring Contracts
Toronto has six contracts coming off the books, as well as a little money from their buyout of Marcus Camby.
In total, the Raptors will be able to shed a little more than $29.6 million in salary this summer.
To Re-Sign or Not?
Amir Johnson
Pros: Emotional leader; team’s best overall defender; best hands on the team.
Cons: Injury issues; even with surgery, ankles may not hold up.
Landry Fields
Pros: Great hair.
Cons: Waste of an expiring contract.
Chuck Hayes
Pros: One of the team’s only veteran presences.
Cons: Doesn’t play, so why pay him?
Lou Williams
Pros: Reigning sixth man of the year; superb scorer; big shot maker.
Cons: Will likely be overpaid; poor defensively; drop-off in production a big possibility after contract year.
Tyler Hansbrough
Pros: Hard worker; tough rebounder; gives the team much needed grit.
Cons: Little to offer offensively; despite trying hard, gets exposed defensively.
Greg Stiemsma
Pros: Uhhh…
Cons: As the 12th man off the bench, he is pretty expendable.
Team Needs
The most pressing need—as has been the case for a while—is to find a reliable starting small forward.
Other than that, Toronto needs to add veterans that will actually contribute in a meaningful way on the floor, as well as bigs that can protect the rim and/or play pick-and-roll defence.
Additionally, like every other team in the league, a real 3-and-D wing would be nice.
Potential Free Agent Targets
Keep in mind, this list ranges from reach-for-the-stars targets (Marc Gasol and Jimmy Butler) to those they have a solid shot at landing.
Point Guards
Wings
Bigs
Potentially Interesting Trade Targets
There’s the distinct possibility that every player on the Raptors’ roster will be in play this off-season, so the possibility of a trade happening is also there.
Two intriguing trade targets are Bulls’ forward Taj Gibson and Houston’s Donatas Motiejunas.
Gibson would make for a great Amir Johnson replacement as the two share similar skill sets. There’s a chance to poach him away from Chicago as the ascendance of Nikola Mirotic severely cut into his playing time, something that was rumoured to upset him at the trade deadline. Additionally, Gibson was a college teammate of DeMar DeRozan’s at USC.
Motiejunas plays with Jonas Valanciunas on the Lithuanian national team and could be a great addition as a stretch four. He’s also in a similar situation to Gibson in the sense that Josh Smith has eaten into his minutes.
