After nearly three months of speculation, the Damian Lillard trade request saga has been resolved.
With help from the Suns, the Bucks proved to be the team to meet the Trail Blazers' asking price. Now that Lillard is headed to Milwaukee, the rest of the league is left to figure out what's next, especially the teams that were considered to be in the running to acquire the superstar.
Among those that missed out on Lillard is the Raptors, who, according to The Athletic, registered serious interest in getting a deal done before the Bucks swooped in. The fallout for the trade means it's back to square one for Toronto, which faces a number of questions ahead of the new season and beyond.
Here is how the Raptors are impacted by the Eastern Conference gaining a new power.
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How Damian Lillard trade to Bucks impacts Raptors
First and foremost, Toronto missed out on an opportunity to acquire a superstar.
While reports indicate that Lillard was never truly interested in joining the Raptors, there was real speculation that Masai Ujiri would take the risk to move the Raptors several steps toward title contention. Needless to say, missing out on a seven-time All-NBA performer is a loss in itself.
With no deal, Toronto finds itself in no man's land with respect to its standing among the rest of the Eastern Conference. After posting a 41-41 record and experiencing an exit in the first round of the Play-In Tournament last season, the Raptors have not exactly made tangible improvements to the roster.
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Gone are one-time All-Star Fred VanVleet and former Coach of the Year Nick Nurse. In to replace them are point guard Dennis Schröder and rookie head coach Darko Rajakovic, two entities that, while familiar with one another, come with questions of how well they will replace their predecessors.
And while high expectations surround 13th overall pick Gradey Dick, it's important to remember to temper some of those expectations with respect to rookies, adding another element of a relative unknown.
At this point, however, even the known commodities in Toronto bring about more questions than answers, and it begins at the top.
Pascal Siakam, who is unquestionably the Raptors' franchise player, enters the final year of his contract with no indication of signing an extension. There is a financial component at play, as Siakam can maximize his earnings by waiting it out and earning an All-NBA selection this season. But could the uncertainty surrounding the franchise cloud his ability to make a long-term decision?
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Who knows if the acquisition of another All-Star talent would've made things clear enough to secure a commitment from Siakam, but the Raptors missing out makes the noise surrounding a potential exit even louder.
Siakam isn't the only member of Toronto's core that can enter free agency in 2024, as O.G. Anunoby has a player option for next season while Gary Trent Jr. is set to become an unrestricted free agent. More impending free agents means more questions.
Due to his player profile, Anunoby has been one of the NBA's more coveted players in recent years. Anunoby, 26, is one of the NBA's premier 3-and-D players and a valuable asset that would improve the potential of nearly every contending team.
The Raptors have a big decision to make with Anunoby. He'll almost certainly be looking to secure a lucrative contract when he becomes a free agent. Will the Raptors be the team that gives it to him or will he have to go elsewhere? With that option in his contract for 2024-25, it's another question that Toronto must answer soon.
Much like the team's standing in the East, they're now in no man's land with each of the aforementioned impending free agents.
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This upcoming season could go a number of ways for Toronto. It could elect to run things back and risk losing a free agent for nothing, it could go all-in on moving players to land a different star or it could concede and signal a rebuild by moving players to land assets.
To be clear, the above isn't necessarily that black and white.
The Raptors could land somewhere in between each of the above outcomes, which would just place more questions about the franchise's future. With a top-six protected pick headed to San Antonio next season, Toronto has no incentive to drag its heels due to indecision — it must fully commit to building a contender or rebuilding for the future.
Perhaps Toronto will shift its focus to going all-in on Jrue Holiday. Maybe the franchise shifts gears to focus on a future around Scottie Barnes and Dick. Whatever it is, the Raptors must commit one way or another, or they'll find themselves in no man's land until they can no longer save themselves.
