Raptors mailbag: Tank or no tank, who is leaving, a rebrand and more

Article content

The Toronto Raptors season might be over, but mailbag season isn’t. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions for this edition and feel free to keep them coming.

Article content

As expected, there was some overlap as a few questions seem to be top of mind for Raptors fans right now, so some have been bunched together.

Article content

There will be an overflow mailbag next week and then a longer basketball mailbag will come right after we find out what happens at the May 12 NBA draft lottery, which low-key is one of the most pivotal moments for the Raptors in the past decade or more.

Dan M: “Is the rebrand happening next year, Vince?”

R.W.: As DeMar DeRozan would say, most definitely. The only question is just how much the franchise shakes things up for Year 30 of the Raptors.

They’ve teased the purple (and I’m all for it as I always hated the chevron jerseys and a bunch of the special edition ones and loved all the purple ones) so those will definitely be worn for many games next season.

Article content

Vince Carter will be honored, too, in some way and my best guess is some sort of ‘Ring of Honor’ becomes a thing (Lowry, DeRozan, Leonard, Carter would be shoo-ins, to start).

MLS_Canada: “Rumors of purple uniforms next year for the 25th anniversary… with that mindset, who are the Top 5 Raptors players who were let go or left too early and who are the Top 5 who stayed too long with the franchise.”

R.W.: Making me use my brain more than usual here, which is always dangerous. Tracy McGrady has to lead the list of left too early, since he’s an all-time great scorer (who was a menace defensively, too, before he got his own franchise in Orlando).

Chris Bosh obviously a close second. Less obvious picks: TJ Ford (was a real shame Al Horford broke him). I’ll throw in Sharone Wright (her car accident ended her career but Isiah Thomas was right, he had a lot of talent) then Doug Christie, Norman Powell and Jorge Garbajosa.

Article content

Article content

The stayed too long list:

1. Andrea Bargnani

2. Rafael Araujo

3. Joey Graham

4-5. OG Anunoby/Fred VanVleet (as I’ve written, one or both should have been dealt at the February 2023 trade deadline).

Brent: “Are you hoping for the San Antonio pick to convey this year or would you rather have a top 6 pick in this draft?”

And Darrell Nicholson: “Play-ins next year?”

R.W.: It depends what hat I’m wearing. As a Raptors reporter, I want them to keep the pick this year. Don’t want to sit through/cover a tank next year.

As a neutral observer I’d probably say the same though for different reasons. I don’t think they’ll be bad enough to be in contention for Cooper Flagg and the other top talents next year, even if they wanted to be.

If I was coming from a Raptors fan perspective, I might say losing the pick this year is better. Then trade Poeltl and the team will at least be bottom 10 and maybe worse if Scottie Barnes or someone else miss a lot of time.

Article content

The only way to become a contender again one day is to either luck into a Kawhi-type of trade, which almost never happens, or to get a Top 5 pick in a great draft and take the right guy when given the chance.

If they keep the pick, they’ll be a play-in team or close, if they don’t they’ll likely try to be as bad as possible without making it a farce.

Karen Leslie Hall: “How much shakeup do you expect in the off-season with super teams struggling in playoffs? Whom might the Raptors try to pick up this summer if some teams become sellers?”

R.W.: Tons. Masai has hinted at it, as has ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Phoenix is ​​a disaster, Miami has too high a payroll, even Portland and Memphis are in weird spots. The Clippers will always spend whatever because their owner is one of the richest humans on the planet. Atlanta has to make some choices, Cleveland and Minnesota, too.

Article content

I think it’s going to be wild and believe Toronto would be wise to use some of its cap space to pick up contracts teams don’t want while collecting assets like draft picks and young players in the process.

steve: “What’s the future of Gary Trent Jr. and Bruce Brown Jr?”

R.W.: This can go with the previous question as it impacts how much space Toronto will have to get creative with in terms of taking on contracts.

Trent has shown he’s a solid scorer who can create his own shot and be money from three-point range. That has some value, but he also has limitations and he hasn’t been as effective as a reserve. But, on a good team he should be coming off the bench.

I’d be OK either way. If he signs for similar to his past contract, sure, if not, he was a good veteran but good luck elsewhere.

Article content

Brown has a useful contract which should make dealing with him pretty easy. He can either go to a team that wants him to play for them or because it can be cut as soon as acquired (as long as it’s done before the end of June) so that a team can dump one of those unwanted contracts to get under the luxury tax or first or second apron.

@ShiptheJustice: “White or Maxey MIP?? Steph or Demar clutch?? “Was losing big Trev Gleeson the reason for the Raptors demise this season??”

R.W.: Thanks for the question from New Zealand (the Gleeson mention gave it away).

I went with Maxey because I think it’s harder to jump from really good to all-NBA level (or just below) than from replacement level to solid starter, which White did. But I do get the arguments for White as well.

Article content

Curry had a bit better clutch numbers (truly unreal ones) so he was my pick, but I think Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was bonkers in the clutch, too.

Do think losing Chris Finch a few years back was a big blow. The Nick Nurse/Finch combo was pretty top shelf, as short as it was.

Sugar Water Guy: “Which current playoff team would the Raptors, being fully healthy, have the best chance of winning a seven-game series against?”

R.W.: The numbers say New Orleans has been the worst playoff team (written before Game 4), but I think they’d bury the Raptors, so… Milwaukee without Giannis would be my top choice. They are better than Miami (unless Jimmy Butler was 100%, but even then, maybe) and I think they’d have a shot against Indiana and Phoenix, too.

Article content