Can you navigate the Toronto Raptors' head-spinning off-season?

Masai Ujiri took his seat at the podium and faced the crowd of reporters. Two days after his team was swept from the second round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers in embarrassing fashion, the Toronto Raptors president wore his frustration plainly. He began the press conference by repeatedly declaring the whole exercise was “B.S.” As questions rolled his way regarding the future direction he planned to take the Raptors in, he dropped buzzwords like “culture reset” and talked about the need for major changes, but when pressed for specifics, Ujiri remained vague and contradictory. He wanted change, but mentioned re-signing Kyle Lowry, his star player about to enter free agency, and retaining the coach whose systems had seemingly run their course.

Why the mixed messages? Why the reluctance or inability to outline a clear plan? Is the path to title contention for the Raptors really that convoluted?

Ujiri didn’t have answers he was willing to share. But do you? Take a seat at the head of the Raptors boardroom table and decide for yourself what course you want to set for the franchise this summer and beyond. Do you want continuity? Do you want total overhaul? Something in between?

Now’s your chance to choose your own Raptors adventure, beginning with the off-season’s biggest question.

 

Whether Lowry returns to Toronto next season and beyond will help determine every move the Raptors make this summer. So, do you re-sign him for big bucks and bring arguably your best player back to the roster? Or do the situation and economics suggest it’s time for an amicable breakup?
 
Here’s what we know about Lowry heading into free agency:
 
There will be competition for his services. Lowry is the third-best free-agent point guard this summer, but the two players ahead of him — Chris Paul and Steph Curry — are far less likely to change addresses. So for all intents and purposes, Lowry is the top guard available. Expect a bidding war. 

Given that bidding war, it’ll likely take a max contract to bring Lowry back. With the NBA’s projected salary cap rising to $101 million next season, a five-year deal (the Raptors can offer Lowry one more year than the other 29 teams) will cost something in the neighbourhood of $200 million — $35 million in his first season; rising eight per cent each year after that. Lowry is expected to make $45 million in the final year of his contract should he sign a five-year max with Toronto. 

He’s on the wrong side of 30, and will be 36 by the time a five-year contract expires.

$200-million man
Is the hefty predicted price tag on Lowry's contract worth it or do you let him walk to a team willing to shell out for a PG?

While DeMar DeRozan has shown more dramatic growth in his game, Lowry has consistently been the Raptors’ best player during this current era.

At his season-ending press conference, Lowry was non-committal when asked whether he’d like to return to the Raptors, saying all he wanted was to win a ring and that he can do that “wherever I play.”  

Lowry’s on-court style invites a ton of contact, and he has been somewhat injury-prone as a result, missing 22 games in 2016–17 (and another two in the playoffs) and 34 combined over the four seasons prior.

He’s coming off his best season as a pro, averaging career-high per-game numbers in points (22.4), assists (7.0), rebounds (4.8) and field-goal percentage (46.4). What’s more, with the three-point shot holding more value than ever, Lowry made a career-best 3.2 per game at a near-elite rate of 41.2 per cent.  

*He’s a bona fide all-star (three consecutive seasons and counting) and top-10 player at the NBA’s most important position.

So, with all that in mind, do you re-sign Lowry? Click the button below to start charting a path.

Yes No

 

Is Casey — an ‘old-school’ coach whose playbook hasn’t changed much over the years — the heart of the Raptors’ problems? Or would a new-look roster featuring better shooters and a point guard he can mould let the coach properly orchestrate the team’s changing style of play?     
 
Since taking over the reigns as head coach in the summer of 2011, Casey has overseen the most successful era of Toronto Raptors basketball. The franchise’s four winningest seasons have come in the past four years, and the team has eclipsed 50 wins in each of the past two.

Of course, it wasn’t until Casey put Lowry in the starting lineup — and saw the roster re-shaped into an improbable playoff contender after the Rudy Gay trade in December 2013 — that the Raptors began to find success under his watch. And over the years, he and Lowry’s relationship has been openly contentious — early in Lowry’s Raptors tenure, the two clashed so often there were legitimate questions over whether they’d ever co-exist.

Yet it was Casey who ultimately gave Lowry his best opportunity as a pro, and the two have found common ground. But the 2016–17 campaign proved that the approach that brought the Raptors success in the regular season wasn’t sustainable come playoff time. How much of that can be hung on Casey and how much was simply a by-product of the roster he was handed remains to be seen.

So, do you fire Dwane Casey?

Yes No

 

Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are your guys going forward. Makes sense. Both are established all-stars who’ve proven their loyalty to the city, the franchise and the fans. A legitimately elite scorer and a top-10 point guard? You can work with that.
 
With Casey out the door and a new coach bringing fresh systems to Toronto, now is the time to figure out who to slot in around Lowry and DeRozan. The Raptors have a group of veterans — Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson — entering free agency who have proven themselves versatile on both ends of the floor, but bringing back last year’s supporting cast won’t come cheap. Patterson’s decline during the playoffs may make him more affordable than he looked during the regular season, but Ibaka will be in high-demand. Re-signing Ibaka alone could bring you near the salary cap ceiling, and P.J. Tucker is also due for a nice raise.
 
All of those players bring obvious value to the table — they play rock-solid defence and stretch the floor on offence. In a revamped system, each of them could play a significant role, but signing them could also leave you cash-strapped and no better off on the court than you were last season.

So, do you re-sign the supporting cast?

Yes No

 

You’re sticking with Lowry and DeRozan and bringing back key members of last season’s supporting cast. The hope is that this roster will again be a top-10 defence and that it can improve on the other side of the ball thanks in part to a revised focus on offence.

But getting there has left you with very little cap room, and you’ll now have to fill out the roster with guys eligible for the veteran’s minimum or by rolling the dice with players on the scrap heap. You do still have the 23rd pick in the draft, though. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a future star, just some good fortune.
 
Another option is to try to trade Jonas Valanciunas or DeMarre Carroll to open up minutes, cap room and flexibility. Their value is low, though, which means you may be forced to include a player like Norman Powell or Jakob Poeltl to make a deal happen.  
 
If you don’t want to pull the trigger on a trade, you’re banking on Powell developing into a full-time star and young players like Poeltl, Delon Wright and maybe even Pascal Siakam taking a big step forward to become consistent performers off the bench.    

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

You’re letting Ibaka and other key role players walk, but the cost of re-signing Lowry has left you with very little to spend if you hope to fill out the roster in free agency, meaning you’re left scouring the scrap heap in the hopes of finding a hidden gem.
 
Jonas Valanciunas, DeMarre Carroll and maybe even Cory Joseph are all players you could look to move to free up more cap room. But they’re unattractive trade pieces and if you want to move them there’s a good chance you’ll have to include a youngster with promise like Norman Powell or Jakob Poeltl to make it happen. Is that worth it or can Powell and Co. grow into key pieces? Your call.

So, let’s make a deal?

Yes No

 

You like the current core enough to keep it intact, but instead of bringing back the same group that made it to the second round this past season, you’ve surrounded Lowry and DeRozan with fresh faces on the court and on the sidelines.  
 
By letting the likes of Ibaka leave, you’ve opened the door to sign complimentary free agents who can help address key areas of need, and perhaps even managed to shed enough salary to take a run at an elite shooter like J.J. Redick. It’s a long shot, sure, but one that could pay dividends if all goes according to plan.

Hired Gun
A knock-down shooter like J.J. Redick could be a nice addition alongside your current stars — provided you can land him.

You also have the 23rd pick in the draft. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a star, just some good fortune.
 
The future is uncertain, sure, but at least you have continuity in the backcourt and are banking on a revamped supporting cast to bring out the best in your established stars.

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

You like the current core enough to keep it intact, but instead of bringing back the same group that made it to the second round this past season, you’ve surrounded Lowry and DeRozan with some fresh faces on the court and on the sidelines.

While you can chase role players like C.J. Miles or Joe Ingles in free agency, you’re also banking on the combination of internal player development and a revised offensive scheme to move forward with confidence. Norman Powell will get the bigger role you want for him and, with it, the chance to develop into a star. And you saw enough from Jakob Poeltl in his rookie season to be hopeful that his skillset will allow him to thrive with more responsibility.   
 
You also have the 23rd pick in the draft. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a star, just some good fortune.
 
So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are your guys going forward. Makes sense. Both are established all-stars who’ve proven their loyalty to the city, the franchise and the fans. A legitimately elite scorer and a top-10 point guard? You can work with that.
 
Casey has shown you enough in his tenure with Toronto for you to be confident he can lead this team with its current core past LeBron James and on to the Finals. But you can keep the heart of the team in place and still shake up the roster. So, do you?
 
The Raptors have a group of veterans — Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson — entering free agency who have proven themselves to be versatile on both ends of the floor, but bringing back last year’s supporting cast won’t come cheap. Patterson’s decline during the playoffs may make him more affordable than he looked during the regular season, but Ibaka, like Lowry, will be in high-demand and Tucker is also due for a nice raise.
 
All of those players bring obvious value to the table — they play rock-solid defence and stretch the floor on offence — but signing them could also leave you cash-strapped and no better off on the court than you were last season.

So, do you re-sign the supporting cast?

Yes No

 

You’re sticking with Lowry and DeRozan and bringing back key members of the supporting cast. The hope is that this roster will again be a top-10 defence and that it can improve on the other side of the ball as players develop within the organization and Lowry logs more time alongside last season’s additions.

Keeping the team together has left you with very little cap room, and you’ll now have to fill out the roster with guys eligible for the veteran’s minimum or by rolling the dice with players on the scrap heap. You do still have the 23rd pick in the draft, though. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a star, just some good fortune.
 
You can still try to trade Jonas Valanciunas or DeMarre Carroll to open up minutes, cap room and flexibility, but their value is low, which means you may be forced to include a player like Norman Powell or Jakob Poeltl to make a deal happen.  
 
If you don’t want to pull the trigger on a trade, you’re banking on Powell developing into a full-time star and young players like Poeltl, Delon Wright and maybe even Pascal Siakam taking a big step forward to become consistent performers off the bench.    

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

You’re letting Ibaka and other key role players walk, but the cost of re-signing Lowry has left you with very little to spend if you hope to fill out the roster in free agency.
 
Jonas Valanciunas, DeMarre Carroll and maybe even Cory Joseph are all players you could look to move to free up more cap room, but they’re unattractive trade pieces and if you want to move them there’s a good chance you’ll have to include a youngster with promise like Norman Powell or Jakob Poeltl to make it happen. Is that worth it or can Powell and Co. grow into key pieces? Your call.

So, let’s make a deal?

Yes No

 

You like the current core enough to keep it intact, but instead of bringing back the same group that made it to the second round this past season, you’ve surrounded Lowry and DeRozan with fresh faces on the court, while granting Casey the opportunity to oversee changes in your style of play.
 
By letting the likes of Ibaka walk, you’ve opened the door to sign complimentary free agents who can help address key areas of need and have perhaps even managed to shed enough salary to take a run at an elite shooter like J.J. Redick. It’s a long shot, sure, but one that could pay dividends if all goes according to plan.

Hired Gun
A knock-down shooter like J.J. Redick could be a nice addition alongside your current stars — provided you can land him.

You also have the 23rd pick in the draft. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a star, just some good fortune.
 
The future is uncertain, sure, but at least you have continuity in the backcourt and are banking on a revamped supporting cast to bring out the best in your established stars.

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

You like the current core enough to keep it intact, but instead of bringing back the same group that made it to the second round this season, you’ve surrounded Lowry and DeRozan with fresh faces. You’ve also decided to give Casey a shot at overseeing the changes you want to see in the team’s style of play.

While you can chase role players like C.J. Miles or Joe Ingles in free agency, you’re also banking on the combination of internal player development and a revised offensive scheme to move forward with confidence. Norman Powell will get the bigger role you want for him and, with it, the chance to develop into a star. And you saw enough from Jakob Poeltl in his rookie season to be hopeful that his skillset will allow him to thrive with more responsibility.   
 
You also have the 23rd pick in the draft. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a star, just some good fortune.
 
So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

Is letting Lowry walk the first step toward wholesale roster changes? If so, the next major domino comes in the form of fellow three-time all-star DeMar DeRozan.
 
For some reason, DeRozan’s flaws have always attracted more attention than his strengths. As a result, his trade value may be lower than you think. Apparently, teams aren’t lining up to land a legitimate top-10 scorer and that means swapping DeRozan for a young star or top-five pick could be a pipedream. 
 
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t potential trade partners out there with valuable assets to move. The New York Knicks, for instance, are in a unique position. In a major market with a fanbase whose patience has already worn thin, the Knicks could be looking to add an all-star at a position of need (particularly if they’re able to move Carmelo Anthony and his $25-million contract to a non-Raps team this summer). And New York has the eighth pick in a deep draft to use as a trade chip.

The Madison Square Garden crowd has seen DeRozan deliver daggers before and they’re familiar with what he brings to the table as a go-to scorer. And the Knicks pick could yield high-potential prospects like North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr., Florda State’s Jonathan Isaac, or Kentucky’s Malik Monk.  
 
You would have to take on a good chunk of salary in return, but could save some cap room for free agency or make other trades.
 
Of course, letting Lowry walk and keeping DeRozan — the NBA’s fifth leading scorer last season, and a player just entering his prime — is a viable option, too. At this point it’s unrealistic to expect DeRozan to change who he is as a player and suddenly develop a three-point shot, but you could remain competitive with DeRozan as your go-to scorer sporting a revamped supporting cast of deadeye shooters around him.

So, do you move DeRozan?

Yes No

 

You’ve let Lowry walk and dealt DeRozan away for the best package available, so it’s safe to say you’re blowing it up and also planning to say goodbye to veteran free agents Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson.  
 
You’ve landed a lottery pick for DeRozan, and now it’s time to turn your attention to the NBA Draft. You have a shot at selecting the Raptors’ next franchise player, but do you play it safe on draft night or take a risk?

Score and Score Again
You could gamble on a riskier pick as you restart the franchise or choose a more proven player like Kentucky's Malik Monk.

The Milwaukee Bucks — the team that gave you a run for your money in the first round — opted for the gambler’s route in 2013 when they selected a Giannis Antetokounmpo based solely on long-term potential. That move obviously worked out, but the Bucks are the exception, not the rule, and the odds are stacked against you.    
 
This year’s draft does boast some intriguing high-risk, high-reward prospects, however, like French point guard Frank Ntilikina, Arizona freshman Lauri Markkanen, Gonzaga freshman Zach Collins and North Carolina State lead guard Dennis Smith Jr.  
 
The flip side is to opt for a player who will enter his rookie season with an NBA-ready skillset, like Duke’s Jayson Tatum, Kentucky gunner Malik Monk or Indiana’s defensive dynamo OG Anunoby.

So, do you swing for the fences?

Yes No

 

You wanted sweeping changes and will now get to start over and shape your team from the ground up. Expect many years of losing, but accumulating assets in the form of draft picks and prospects has hopefully put you in a position to eventually trade for a superstar who can lead you to title contention or to see that draft gamble develop into a game-changing star.  
 
Needless to say, LeBron’s reign of terror won’t impact you anymore. Chances are his career will be winding down by the time you get your next shot at the Conference Finals.

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

You’ve stumbled on the one result that genuinely confounds us. You’ve made the bold choice to blow up the team by letting the core and supporting cast walk, but then indulged your conservative side on draft day. Sure, you’ve accumulated assets that you may be able to flip for a star down the line, but your real hope lies in suffering through years of losing and hoping to strike gold in the draft. To do that, you may have to eventually take a swing. Just saying.

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

So, DeRozan is your guy going forward. Makes sense. He’s pledged his loyalty to the city, the franchise and the fans, and continues to take giant leaps forward each year. A player who is virtually unguardable one-on-one? A legitimately elite scorer? You can work with that. Now it’s time to figure out who you slot in around him.
 
The Raptors have a group of veterans — Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson — entering free agency who have proven themselves to be versatile on both ends of the floor, but bringing back last year’s supporting cast won’t come cheap. Patterson’s decline during the playoffs may make him more affordable than he looked during the regular season, but Ibaka will be in high-demand and P.J. Tucker is also due for a nice raise.
 
All those players bring obvious value to the table — they play rock-solid defence and stretch the floor on offence — but signing them could also leave you cash-strapped and no better off on the court than you were last season.

So, do you re-sign the supporting cast? 

Yes No

 

You’re sticking with DeRozan and bringing back key members of last season’s supporting cast. The hope is that this roster will again be a top-10 defence and that it can improve on the other side of the ball thanks in part to a revised focus on offence.

But you’ve left yourself very little cap room and you’ll now have to fill out the roster with guys eligible for the veteran’s minimum or by rolling the dice with players on the scrap heap. You do still have the 23rd pick in the draft, though. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a star, just some good fortune.
 
Another option would be to move Jonas Valanciunas or DeMarre Carroll to open up minutes, cap room and flexibility but their value is low, which means you may be forced to include a player like Norman Powell or Jakob Poeltl to make a deal happen.  
 
If you don’t want to pull the trigger on a trade, you’re banking on Powell developing into a full-time star and young players like Poeltl, Delon Wright and maybe even Pascal Siakam taking a big step forward to become consistent performers off the bench.    

The giant hole created at the point by the loss of Kyle Lowry is currently filled by Cory Joseph and Wright. You could also draft a point guard late in the first round or take a flier on a cheap free agent like Shelvin Mack or Tyler Ennis and hope for the best.

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

You’re letting Ibaka and other key role players from last season walk, and Lowry has re-signed elsewhere. Sadly, you still only have about $18 million to spend.
 
Jonas Valanciunas, DeMarre Carroll and maybe even Cory Joseph are all players you could look to move to free up more cap room to spend in free agency or to help create financial flexibility moving forward. But they’re unattractive trade pieces and if you want to move them there’s a good chance you’ll have to include a youngster with promise like Norm Powell or Jakob Poeltl to make it happen. Is that worth it? Or can Powell and Co. grow into key pieces? Your call.

So, let’s make a deal?

Yes No

 

You won’t land a player of Lowry’s calibre, but you’ve created enough cap space to target a coveted, promising young piece like Tim Hardaway Jr., Jamychal Green, Otto Porter Jr., or breakout Spur Jonathan Simmons.
 
You’re willing to take a step back, essentially waiting out LeBron’s dominance while putting together a group around DeRozan that can grow into a contender within a few seasons. It’s a tough sell to DeRozan, who is in his prime and has already endured years of losing, but you’re hoping he’s willing to be patient.   
 
You also have the 23rd pick in the draft. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a star, just some good fortune.
 
The future is uncertain, sure, but at least you have more flexibility to develop your roster.

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map

 

With Lowry out of the picture and DeRozan locked in as your go-to scorer, you’re banking on the combination of internal player development and a revised offensive scheme to move forward. Norman Powell will get the bigger role you want for him and, with it, the chance to develop into a star. And you saw enough from Jakob Poeltl in his rookie season to be hopeful that his skillset will allow him to thrive with more responsibility.   
 
You also have the 23rd pick in the draft. Some of the best players in the 2017 post-season were selected outside the lottery — Jimmy Butler at No. 30, Rudy Gobert at No. 27, Draymond Green at No. 35, and Isaiah Thomas at No. 60 — so you don’t need a top-14 to land a star, just some good fortune.
 
And because you’ve let the supporting cast walk, you have a little less than $20 million to spend in the free-agent market. Hopefully a role player like C.J. Miles or Joe Ingles — a solid three-point shooter who fills an obvious need — is still available at a reasonable price point.   
 
The giant hole created at the point by the loss of Kyle Lowry is currently filled by Cory Joseph and Wright. You could try to draft a point guard late in the first round or take a flier on a cheap free agent like Shelvin Mack or Tyler Ennis and hope for the best. Or you could make a run at the likes of Darren Collison and Patty Mills with that aforementioned cap space and look for shooting on the scrap heap. As always, it’s your call.

So, are you satisfied or do you want to try again?

Try Again Image Map
Photo Credits

CP (10); Design by Drew Lesiuczok