The Toronto Raptors just won an NBA championship, the first in franchise history. But what's next for the champs?
They now await the decision of All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard, who has a one-year player option that he is expected to decline to sign a longer, more lucrative deal with either the Raptors or another team.
Though the majority of the roster is still under contract for next season, several players have a decision to make this offseason, including Danny Green and Marc Gasol.
Take a look and see what's coming up for the Raptors this offseason...
Free agents
Marc Gasol, C, UFA — $25.6 million player option for 2019-20 season
Kawhi Leonard, F, UFA — $21.3 million player option for 2019-20 season
Danny Green, G, UFA
Patrick McCaw, G, RFA
Jeremy Lin, G, UFA
Jodie Meeks, G, UFA
Eric Moreland, F, UFA
Jordan Loyd, G, UFA
UFA = Unrestricted Free Agent, RFA = Restricted Free Agent
Under contract
Kyle Lowry, G – under team control through 2019-20
Serge Ibaka, C – under team control through 2019-20
Fred VanVleet, G – under team control through 2019-20
Pascal Siakam, F – under team control through 2019-20
Chris Boucher, F – under team control through 2019-20
Malcolm Miller, F – under team control through 2019-20
OG Anunoby, F – under team control through 2020-21
Norman Powell, G/F – under team control through 2021-22
Draft picks
The Raptors own one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft – a second round pick, 59th overall.
They owe the San Antonio Spurs their 2019 first-round draft pick from the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto.
This will be the Raptors' second consecutive year without a first-round draft pick. The last time they had a second-round draft pick was in 2015, when they had two. They selected DeAndre Daniels of UConn with the 37th overall pick and Xavier Thames of San Diego State with the 59th overall pick.
The Raptors' most notable second-round pick in recent history is PJ Tucker, who was selected 35th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft.
Salary
According to Basketball Insiders, the Raptors are over the salary cap and luxury tax — they have $101.9 million on the books for next season.
Should both Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol decline their player options and go elsewhere, Toronto would have up to $21.8 million in salary cap space.
Biggest offseason storylines
Will Kawhi Leonard stay?
This has been the lingering backstory since the Raptors acquired Leonard.
Leonard was historic for the Raptors this season. He returned to being an MVP-calibre player, carried them through the postseason and was rewarded with Finals MVP for his performances. Even missing nearly a quarter of the regular season due to "load management," his impact was felt in every game that he played and he set the tone for this team, giving them hope that they could compete for a championship from day one.
Should he decide to return, Leonard will be working with almost the exact same team as this past season with the majority of their key players still under contract.
Things would get interesting in the 2020 offseason should Leonard re-sign, as a handful of contracts will be up and the Raptors would be able to build the team around him and Pascal Siakam.
Will the Raptors give Pascal Siakam a contract extension?
Speaking of Siakam, he is eligible for a contract extension this offseason.
The Raptors have until the start of the 2019-20 season to extend Siakam before that window closes.
Siakam had a breakout year this past season, which will likely earn him the league's Most Improved Player award. He bumped his scoring average up to 16.9 points per game with shooting splits of .549/.367/.785, all improvements from the season before.
His rebounding and assists numbers were up and he was fantastic in an increased role for the Raptors. He stepped up as their No. 2 scoring option, took on more challenging matchups on the defensive end and worked more as a primary ball handler in transition.
The third-year forward was arguably the team's most consistent player throughout the season when availability is taken into account, and he even had a few huge games in the playoffs.
Siakam is an All-Star in the making. Should Leonard choose to leave the Raptors, he becomes the franchise's most promising piece for the future.
What about Marc Gasol and Danny Green?
Next on the Raptors' priority list will be two other starters – Gasol and Green.
For Gasol, the decision is completely up to him. He has a player option worth $25.6 million that he could opt into to return to the Raptors, decline to restructure a deal with Toronto or decline to pursue other opportunities in free agency.
He played a key role as a defensive anchor down the stretch of the playoffs for the Raptors and his game is set to age well as a savvy centre on both ends of the floor. Add to it that he now has championship experience, and any team that feels they're one solid piece away from contending for a title would be more than happy to bring Gasol along for the right price.
As for Green, the decision is mostly up to the Raptors. Green will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and while teams in need of a veteran shooter will likely be willing to offer a big contract to the three-time champ, he said on his podcast earlier this season that he has interest in returning to Toronto if they'll have him.
Green was crucial to Toronto's success this season, starting in every game he played while shooting a career-best 45.5% from beyond the arc. He's the type of player that can fit into any system, so it will probably be more than just the Raptors pursuing the two-way guard in free agency.
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