What are the options for the Raptors with Damian Lillard trade ...

Stand pat, make a smaller move or a major selloff all options

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Published Sep 27, 2023  •  Last updated 4 hours ago  •  4 minute read

Raptors' Pascal Siakam (left) and teammate Scottie Barnes are key contributors. Photo by FRANK GUNN /THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

The Damian Lillard to the Raptors dream is once again dead.

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Years after the team won a meaningless game to end the regular season, denying them a chance to draft Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks swooped in and denied Toronto, Miami, or any other suitor a shot at adding the superstar point guard on Wednesday.

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As we said in the initial version of this column, before Lillard was dealt, though trade rumours create immense buzz — and it’s easy to imagine the Raptors fielding a strong group following a blockbuster deal — the vast majority of scuttlebutt doesn’t come to fruition and it’s far more likely that the future hall of famer wouldn’t head north of the border.

That ended up being the case. League sources mused Toronto simply would not dangle OG Anunoby for Lillard. So, where does this leave Toronto? The Raptors enter Season 29 far from being considered any kind of a threat to make a deep playoff run, let alone win a second NBA title. Milwaukee has powered up and has to be the co-title favourite, with defending champion Denver.

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Three potential Toronto starters, including the club’s best player, Pascal Siakam, will become unrestricted free agents after this season. Starting point guard and team leader Fred VanVleet now plays in Houston. The team owes a protected first round pick to San Antonio.

Though ticket sales remain robust, the buzz around the franchise has lessened in recent years as players have departed and playoff success has become fleeting.

The front office, led by Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster, has opted to be as patient as monks meditating for hours on end. Instead of picking a direction, either loading up and sacrificing future assets, or selling off the likes of Siakam, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent (the three free-agents-to-be) or VanVleet at the trade deadline, they punted, and actually picked up a viable starting centre in Jakob Poeltl after oddly experimenting for a couple of years without one.

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What’s the next move now that Lillard is not an option? Here are three pathways:

This seems most like the team’s front office. See what the group can do, with Dennis Schroder and Jalen McDaniels now important parts of the rotation.

Maybe the mix will be better, the chemistry improved. Make absolutely sure that Scottie Barnes and Siakam don’t work alongside Poeltl because that is the worst shooting front court in the NBA in a league that prizes shot-making.

Or maybe it somehow does work, if Barnes or Siakam can boost their accuracy from beyond the arc and maybe with last year’s free-agent signing Otto Porter Jr., an excellent shooter, able to contribute this season.

The team could then ponder moving forward long-term with Siakam, even if he’s a fair bit older than Barnes.

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It would give management even more of their precious evaluation time. If it doesn’t work, they could sell off whichever coming free agent(s) most likely not to return to build up a war chest for the future.

They’ve talked about making a big move to turn the keys of the franchise over to Barnes, but Toronto drives a hard bargain.

If they don’t get what they’re after, they have proven over and over again that they won’t make a trade just for the sake of switching things up.

If they can’t pair Siakam with Lillard, another course could be to look at the longer term: Wait out Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Miami. They are older teams and could no longer be dangerous a couple of years down the road.

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The Raptors could add prospects and draft capital now to use in a year or two to complement Barnes when the East is less competitive.

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The Raptors should trade for Damian Lillard … and they can without mortgaging future

Camp questions: Rookie Gradey Dick will help the Toronto Raptors, but how soon?

The current group badly needs more shooting.

Rookie Gradey Dick, who is still a teenager, will need time before being ready to contribute.

Schroder, last season aside, has not been in VanVleet’s class as an outside shooter (though he is a far better finisher, which is something the offence also needs).

Indiana’s Buddy Hield, one of the elite shooters in the league, is said to be available. Miami has been dangling Tyler Herro for ages. Boston nearly dealt Malcolm Brogdon and has little use for talented backup guard Payton Pritchard.

Someone like those options could make the Raptors a surer bet to make the playoffs or at least host a play-in game and wouldn’t cost close to what a LiIllard caliber player would. It’s what we’d be looking at if they asked (they won’t).

Regardless of if anything happens or not, media day is just about here and the Raptors will open the regular season at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves in less than a month.

@WolstatSun

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