All eyes were on the Toronto Raptors this offseason to see what they were going to do.
After the team lost Fred VanVleet to the Houston Rockets in free agency, many thought the Raptors would enter a full rebuild.
There was a lot of trade speculation surronding OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. The Raptors reportedly rejected a deal from the Atlanta Hawks for Siakam.
As of now Siakam and Anunoby remain on the roster without a new deal. Also, Gary Trent Jr. hasn’t signed a new deal with the Raptors either. It was rumored that he would sign an extension with the team earlier this summer.
Despite the lack of moves made by the front office, one NBA insider believes the Raptors could still do something before the start of the 2023-24 season.
ESPN’s Zach lowe suggested on The Lowe Podcast that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Raptors do something in the next couple of weeks:
“If something interesting happened in the next six weeks with the Raptors, I wouldn’t be surprised. The Siakam stuff has died down, but his situation remains the same. OG is going to be a free agent. All this reporting of a GTJ extension coming, that never happened. Is it still… pic.twitter.com/CgOzcTdtn1
— . (@GTJGotNext) September 7, 2023
Will the Raptors make a move before the start of the season?
The Raptors have not yet traded Siakam, nor have they showed a willingness to extend him. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. If a team does try and trade for Siakam during the season, he could end up being a rental for them.
For OG Anunoby, Shams noted that the Raptors could offer him an extension in October. However, it is capped at around $117 million over four years. That number is expected to be surpassed in free agency. Anunoby can also become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines a $19.9 million player option.
Trent Jr. opted into the final year of his contract in June. By picking up his player option, Trent Jr. chose to play out the final year of his contract before hitting the open market in the summer of 2024.
There are many decisions that need to be made. However, knowing the Raptors’ track record they will likely be patient and let things play out for now.
Expect the Raptors to be in the mists of trade rumors all season long.
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