The NBA offseason is about to kick into gear, and the Toronto Raptors are heading into a month that could shape the next stage of their rebuild. With the ninth pick in hand and plenty of roster questions still unanswered, the front office has decisions to make. Should they stay put or explore trade options? Is now the time to commit to this young core or look for a bigger swing?
This week’s mailbag tackles it all, from Quickley’s value and RJ Barrett’s future to draft targets, trade hypotheticals, and what comes next for Scottie Barnes.
If you have a question for a future mailbag, feel free to reach out on Instagram @aaronbenrose.
I get the sense that there’s already a sizeable portion of the fanbase ready to run Immanuel Quickley out of town, and I’m just nowhere close to that point. Yes, he’s missed a lot of games over the past two years, but it wasn’t like Toronto was rushing him back onto the court. I don’t really view the missed time as an indictment of his long-term availability just yet.
The bigger issue is that the Raptors don’t really have anyone on the roster who replicates what Quickley does. Jamal Shead had a very good rookie season, but he’s not ready to be a starting point guard. Right now, Quickley is essentially the team’s only reliable three-point shooter, especially off the dribble, and that’s a critical skill on a roster starving for spacing. The notion of trading him now feels, honestly, a bit wild to me.
It depends on how you define “franchise player,” right? He’s the Raptors’ franchise player right now. The team is clearly building around Scottie Barnes as the face of the organization.
Is he good enough to be the best player on a championship team? I’d be surprised if he ever hits that level. But very few players do. That doesn’t mean he’s not immensely valuable or the right guy to build around for the moment.
This is a great question, and honestly, I’m not sure there’s a clear answer. If Masai Ujiri were to leave but the rest of the front office stayed intact, would things fall apart? Probably not. Bobby Webster is capable, and there are plenty of smart basketball minds out there waiting for a shot, just like Ujiri once was.
That’s not to say the next person will be as good or better, but eventually someone else will lead the Raptors.
It depends on when you freeze the timeline. If you assume OG Anunoby was still traded but Pascal Siakam stayed, then maybe it’s Siakam instead of Brandon Ingram, and the Raptors don’t get Ochai Agbaji or Ja’Kobe Walter.
But realistically, keeping both OG and Siakam while also building around Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, and even Fred VanVleet—if we go that far back—would’ve made the cap situation untenable. That group would have been too expensive, and ownership wasn’t going to pay that price. It’s just not a particularly realistic path.
If the Raptors trade one of their starters this offseason, I’d bet on it being RJ Barrett for exactly the reason you mentioned. He’s the most replaceable with what’s already on the roster.
There’s also a financial angle. A Barrett trade might be about trimming salary more than anything else, which usually leads to a disappointing return. But if there’s a legitimate upgrade available at his spot, I’d absolutely be open to it.
Carter Bryant. I love 3-and-D wings like him, and he fits a need Toronto has. I could see him or a player like him eventually filling Barrett’s role in the starting lineup.
That said, there’s been a lot of hype lately. Bryant shot 37.1% from behind the arc last year, but it wasn’t on huge volume, and a 69.5% free throw percentage gives me pause. He’s intriguing, but the shooting will have to be real for him to stick long-term.
Right now? Nobody. I’d wait this cycle out and reassess once we’ve seen what this group looks like, hopefully in a playoff environment.
Maybe next summer, once there’s a clearer picture, someone like Devin Booker becomes a target. He’d solve a lot of half-court scoring issues. Or maybe it’s a big-time defensive wing like an OG Anunoby type. Either way, the time to go all-in isn’t right now.
Probably Houston or San Antonio.
One-for-one? Yes. But that deal can’t happen logistically and Milwaukee would want way more.
Any semi-realistic trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo would leave Toronto too thin to compete. That’s why I think the team is better off being patient and letting this thing build naturally.
Tough to say. As of now, I don’t think they beat Indiana, New York, or Cleveland. Could they beat Detroit, Miami, Orlando, or Atlanta? Maybe.
Boston and Milwaukee are hard to gauge for next year. I’m not sure how they’ll fit in the picture. I would bet against Toronto winning a series next year, but I suppose it’s plausible.
