The Toronto Raptors made headlines recently by firing championship-winning Head Coach Nick Nurse. The Raptors had a disappointing season, finishing as the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference and losing to the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament.
Rumors about players like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet had dominated headlines around the trade deadline, but they kept all of them. In the offseason though, it seems the team is ready to move on.
“With Nurse gone, the only prominent front-facing figures that remain from that 2019 team are VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and O.G. Anunoby, and their futures are very much uncertain as well,” reported Joshn Lewenberg of TSN.
“VanVleet will opt out of his contract and join Jakob Poeltl and Gary Trent Jr. as unrestricted free agents this summer. Siakam and Anunoby have been and will continue to be featured in trade speculation.
“Outside of Scottie Barnes, who is coming off a disappointing follow-up to his Rookie of the Year campaign, everybody and everything is on the table as the off-season kicks into high gear ahead of the draft in late June and free agency at the beginning of July.”
The Raptors seem like they might go into a complete rebuild as the current team is unlikely to make any noise in the postseason anytime soon. Trading away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby could net them significant draft capital as well, which would be useful in retooling the roster for the future.
Masai Ujiri Was Brutal In His Assessment Of The Team After The Season
Masai Ujiri has been known to make ruthless moves if it benefits his team. His idea to get Kawhi Leonard made a huge difference for the Raptors in 2019, and it won them the championship. And his words after the season hinted that big changes are coming.
“I did not enjoy watching this team play. I think that spoke loud and clear. You could see it throughout the year. There was never that full excitement. There was never that full spirit,” said Ujiri.
The Toronto Raptors are in an odd place, and a rebuild is no guarantee of future success. However, they will certainly be unable to compete at the highest level with their current roster, so it seems likely that fans will have to make peace with the idea.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
