But just because their vision is not usually food for NBA social media and news circles, does not mean that the rest of us have to guess their intentions.
Quite often what they have in mind is hidden from public view.
For some instructions on where the Raptors may be leaning in as the free agent window opens at 6pm. ET on Thursday, it is worth referring to the statements of the Raptors vice-president, Masai Ujiri for the end of the season, after the appearance of his team. Their surprisingly strong season with 48 wins ends in six losing games in the first round of the playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Preach optimism, preach patience and preach continuity.
“I think they are still a team of the future,” he said. “We still have the patience here to build this team and whatever it takes to raise these kids, we will see and that does not mean things will not happen, as this is just the NBA, but it has always preached growth here. and the development and the new players and I think we have done that. “
So the nucleus remains intact?
“Right.”
As we saw in the draft process, the efforts of other clubs to convince the Raptors that it was time to sell low on OG Anunoby and add another lottery option next to Scottie Barnes proved to be a breath of fresh air.
And most likely now in the free agency, the expectation is for others rather routine a few days. There will be modifications, but no major changes.
Some of them are occasional:
As my colleague Blake Murphy said earlier, the Raptors will act as an “over-the-cap” team, which means they will have no room below the payroll to chase the few glossy pennies into a class of slim free agents .
Instead, they have the full Medium Exemption (“MLE”) offer – ending in a four-year, $ 44 million deal – and the six-year exemption (“BAE”), a two-year deal starting at $ 4.05 million. .
The Raptors also own “Bird Rights” to their most important free agents – Chris Boucher and Thad Young – so they can sign them even if they have exceeded the limits.
Theoretically, they could offer Boucher and Young five-year NBA’s maximum wage deals and still use both of their exceptions, but in reality the Raptors will want to stay below the league’s 149 million luxury tax threshold. avoiding both financial sanctions. against the “tax groups”, while it is also able to participate in the distribution of luxury tax sanctions by the groups that pay them to the groups that remain below the threshold.
All this to say that the Raptors have a total of about $ 30 million to spend on salaries for Boucher, Young and anyone who signs up using their exceptions.
Is enough?
It should be. The wild card is Bausse, an extremely productive though unconventional player in the right conditions who seems to have nullified the way he can stay in a rotation in the NBA for the rest of his slow-growing career: use the long, strong, his nervous frame and Seemingly tireless motor to chase offensive rebounds, sprint in transition, cut strong on the weak side and stand out for the three singles in the attack, while he draws accusations and otherwise shoots at opposing shooters in defense.
The Raptors will have played the market to the point where they can make an offer that is competitive in Boucher’s view, but will not limit their spending to other areas.
Think about it: it’s hard to understand how Bauser’s skills and age – he will turn 30 in January – make him suitable for the few teams that have free space this off-season. It does not make obvious sense in Orlando, San Antonio or Indiana, where everyone is rebuilding with their youth or – in the case of the Knicks and Detroit – it seems that the space has already been used for different transactions.
Therefore, the biggest threat to anyone signing Bauser away from Toronto is one of about eight other teams that are above the ceiling but below the luxury tax threshold, another team using the exception intermediate level for him.
In that case, you could say that Bauser is suitable for Charlotte or maybe Portland, but the Raptors are convinced that if one does not sign a four-year contract with Montreal, Toronto can compete for dollars and compete with just about anyone.
And there is also the issue of fit. Bautcher has grown out of curiosity at the end of the roster to be part of the team web, embracing the role envisioned for him by Raptors head coach Nick Ners and gaining respect in the locker room and front offices for his fearless, intense game. style.
Boucher spends his summers in Toronto using the OVO Athletic Center more than anyone else out of season, exercising regularly in the early hours of the morning and returning in the morning to start over. After all, since the Raptors are expected to play an exhibition game in Montreal (by source) again this season, won’t everyone be served to hear the crowd shout Boucher’s name at the Bell Center, as they did in the Fall of 2018?
I say this is a deal that concludes with a two-year, $ 24 million contract, with team selection and some sort of light guarantee for a third season.
Likewise, the Raptors believe they are in a good position to bring back veteran Thad Young. He is seen not only as a useful turnaround as he enters his 16th season, but as an investment in the guidance he can offer to Precious Achiuwa and Scottie Barnes, while acting as a source for the young team leaders: Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
That said, the market for a 34-year-old on the verge of rotation over the last two seasons should not be so competitive. There is a possibility that some of the elite teams in the league will use their “middle taxpayer” to chase Young, offering him a deal starting at $ 6.5 million, but if that happens, the Raptors could go higher if need. although again with a view to limiting the duration to one year and some sort of limited warranty to the second.
Young was hesitant about his experience in Toronto after disappointing seasons in Chicago and San Antonio. This looks like a deal that the Raptors will complete effortlessly, most likely for something like $ 5-7 million in a one-year deal with a team selection.
Something that brings us to players that the Raptors may want to acquire. Toronto has multiple needs for its roster – size and hoop protection, extra three-point shots and a secondary game leader between them.
It will be difficult to treat more than one of them using MLE or BAL. The most likely scenario? The Raptors are taking advantage of the buyer market for big men to hold on to the fort, while Christian Koloko’s second choice is growing at his own pace.
The market is such that the Raptors may even be able to secure a quality player without using the full MLE. The exceptions to this – the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis, Portland’s Joseph Nurkic, the Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Looney and the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson – are expected to sign their existing teams again.
Two players to watch?
The Los Angeles Clippers will probably not be able to keep Isaiah Hartenstein after agreeing to use their tax middleman on John Wall and signing Ivica Zubac for a three-year $ 33 million extension.
Hartenstein is a 24-year-old former second-team pick who had an off-season for the Clippers. On a 36-minute basis, he averaged 16.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.3 blocks while shooting 62.6 percent from the floor.
Even more remarkable from the point of view of the Raptors? The 7-foot lead led the NBA to a defensive percentage allowed at the edge with a score of 47.5, surpassing some of the league’s most recognizable defenders: Rudy Gobert (49.3), Jaren Jackson Jr. (49.3) and Jarrett Allen (50.3). , 9). Given his age, his ability to playmaking – the assist-to-turnover ratio is usually 2: 1 – and his ability to defend color, you can see the Raptors making a serious run in the big fifth year.
Another option the Raptors will consider is the great man of the Washington Wizards, Thomas Bryant, who was somewhat off the radar after losing almost an entire year with a torn ACL that he suffered at the beginning of the 2020-21 season. But consider that in the 2019-20 bubble he averaged 18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 steals and blocks together, while shooting 40.5 percent of the three and 53.2 percent of the floor . In the first nine games of 2020-21 – before his injury – Bryant continued where he left off, averaging 15.9 points and 6.8 rebounds and shooting 42.9 percent out of three.
His production dropped to 27 games he played last season, which is not surprising given that he was left out for a calendar year. It may not be Hartenstein’s presence, but he has shown that he can lay the groundwork well for a large one, which has its own benefits. He is a former teammate of Anunoby College in Indiana and shares an agenda with Pascal Siakam, which is also worth noting.
Given his injury history, Bryant would seem like a more affordable option – some predictions are only worth it for the minimal veteran, who looks light-handed but misses most of the two seasons. The Raptors should be well aware of this and would probably be able to find a deal that works well for both parties and uses only some of their MLEs, giving them the option to see if there is another need they can cover with the rest.
There are other names on the market, the Mo Bamba of Orlando Magic maybe the …
