Breaking Down Offseason Priorities for the Toronto Raptors

Even Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James had to marvel. He immediately moved past Doris Burke's postgame question after Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, choosing to dish out praise instead.

"I've never been part of anything like this," the four-time MVP proclaimed, referring to the roaring Toronto crowd—still in the arena, chanting their lungs out for a beloved team that had just been eliminated.

The Toronto Raptors are appreciated, and every spectator was going to make that abundantly clear.

The Raptors reached new heights this season, bowing out of the playoffs with dignity. But as offseason reality sinks in, there are plenty of riddles to solve. 

The front office will now look for ways to progress further, a key element in keeping any fanbase satisfied. Even with the impending cap boom this summer, addressing the following concerns won't be easy, as one contract extension could put Toronto out of the free-agency bonanza.

Make a Decision on DeMar DeRozan

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Whether Toronto should bring back DeMar DeRozan has been a dilemma for some time now—he will certainly get a max offer amid the impending cap boom, but is he worth it?

Major free-agent acquisitions will be out of the question if such a deal is struck, and it would almost certainly guarantee the departures of Luis Scola, James Johnson and Jason Thompson.

Toronto reached the Eastern Conference Finals but could easily have been eliminated during either of its seven-game brawls against the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. The team will need to get better to keep up, and it could with Jonas Valanciunas filling a larger role, along with the No. 9 pick in this year's draft. 

But even that might not be enough.

Then again, the Raptors don't really have a choice if they want to remain competitive. With Terrence Ross' and Valanciunas' extensions kicking in, Toronto would only have around $19 million in cap space if it cut ties with DeRozan, according to Spotrac. That's not enough to find a suitable replacement.

It appears as though Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri's priority is to keep his starting shooting guard, and the feelings are mutual on DeRozan's part, per Sportsnet's Michael Grangeo:

"

My mindset has always been Toronto. I always preached it. I was passionate about it when we were losing. When we were terrible, I said I’m going to stick through this whole thing and I want to be that guy who brings this organization to where it is now. I definitely don’t want to switch up after we win.

"

DeRozan wasn't great in the playoffs, shooting just 39.4 percent from the field, but he did put together an All-Star regular-season campaign.

Despite a shaky three-point shot, he fits seamlessly next to Kyle Lowry, even when the starting point guard dominates a possession. DeRozan never stops moving off the ball, and that constant motion neutralises the spacing issue. He has also made further progress as a ball-handler, dishing out four assists per game and ranking third in the league in free-throw attempts.

The fact that DeRozan is 26 and in his prime should also ease the headache of handing him a juicy contract, so it's abundantly clear he needs to be brought back.

Let Go of Bismack Biyombo

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Ujiri got a true steal in last summer's free agency, inking Bismack Biyombo to a cheap deal that paid him just over $2.8 million this season.

The Congolese big man revitalized his career, taking advantage of Valanciunas' absence during the playoffs. His 26-rebound outburst in the 99-84 Game 3 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers played a major part in Toronto capturing some momentum and eventually evening the series at 2-2.

The postseason hype carries significant weight, and league executives reportedly suggested Biyombo could receive offers in the vicinity of $17 million per year, according to Sporting News' Sean Deveney:

His endless energy, rebounding prowess and freakish athleticism could make him a starting center next season. However, Biyombo hinted that he'd be willing to take a discount to come back to Toronto:

It's a nice gesture on Biyombo's part, but it may just be the high of a successful postseason talking. Shaving off a couple million from a potential deal probably still won't cut it, despite the projected $92 million cap. 

Sean Woodley of Raptors HQ put everything into context:

"

A split seems unavoidable, though. Toronto is light on cap space, heavy on needs at other positions and has a cheap replacement option waiting at the end of the bench in Lucas Nogueira. Biyombo on the other hand has a chance to make good on all of the improvement he displayed with Toronto, get paid a fantastic sum of money and play starter's minutes for some other NBA team.

"

The Raptors' salaries add up to just under $70 million for next season. A DeRozan deal starting in the vicinity of $25 million would push that figure up to $95 million. A reasonable $15 million per year for Biyombo would have Toronto over the projected luxury-tax threshold of $111 million (including the cap holds of its draft picks, which will count toward the salary sheet).

With those circumstances in mind, handing out an eight-figure deal for a backup, no matter how good, wouldn't make sense. Valanciunas is the center of the future, and Ujiri intends to hand him more responsibility, according to Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic. 

"Yes he is (ready)," Ujiri said regarding an expanded role for the Lithuanian. "Even from talking to Case, we feel that way, Jonas feels that way, I think the players feel that way."

It's unfortunate, but a natural break should be imminent, and the sooner both parties realize that, the better.

Power Forward Solution

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The Raptors are set in the backcourt and on the wings but still lack a true starter at power forward.

Patrick Patterson can theoretically fill that role. His shooting complements the starters very well, and the numbers back up his importance. Toronto outscored its opponents by 9.3 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, the best figure by any Raptor who saw regular playing time, according to NBA.com.

Patterson usually plays better coming off the bench, and head coach Dwane Casey has pointed out that the 27-year-old is more valuable as a reserve. Unless a quality power forward somehow falls into Ujiri's lap, Patterson will likely finish games, but finding someone who can log around 20 productive minutes at the position is a must.

The draft offers some possibilities, but Toronto would need a rookie who is ready to contribute immediately. Those players exist—Norman Powell's first year is evidence of this—and they can often be found outside the lottery. Trading down is an option, and the Raptors' early draft workouts indicate that might be a possibility, according to Dave Zarum of Sportsnet.

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A player like Domantas Sabonis could be worth a look. His strong post game and tenacious rebounding should immediately translate to the NBA, and he has some upside if he can develop a reliable jumper. Playing next to Valanciunas could breed some spacing issues, but with an appropriate staggering of minutes that could be circumvented.

Toronto will also have the mid-level exception, allowing the team to sign a free agent to a first-year salary of nearly $5.63 million. That slot won't be nearly as useful as it was before the cap boom, so finding value will be tough.

Jared Dudley was a terrific small-ball option for the Washington Wizards and would fit nicely if the mid-level would be sufficient. Dwight Powell still has some upside and did show flashes of three-point range with the Dallas Mavericks. David Lee is another alternative, as he finished the season strong with the Mavs and might be willing to take less money in exchange for an attractive situation.

Explore Trade Possibilities

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Ujiri should leave no rock unturned during the offseason, which means exploring the trade market.

Terrence Ross' three-year, $33 million deal would be easy to move. He is a young wing with shooting range, and if the Raptors package him with one of their first-round picks (ninth or 27th), they could get a lofty return.

There are plenty of interesting names Toronto could target. The Denver Nuggets are rebuilding and would likely welcome first-round picks and young players in exchange for their veterans.

Wilson Chandler, who missed the entire 2015-16 campaign, could be a worthy gamble as a versatile starter who can play both forward positions. Giving up the ninth pick for him is out of the question, but attaching the 27th selection would be fair. Danilo Gallinari is certainly worthy of the higher pick, but making the salaries match would be tricky, as he will make almost $15.1 million next year.

Thaddeus Young is also an interesting name, and the Brooklyn Nets shouldn't hesitate to move him if it means bringing in a young player and potentially replenishing a depleted draft-pick pool. He is set to make $12 million, which means Toronto would likely have to throw in more pieces to make the salaries match. Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright would do the trick.

All salary information is courtesy of Spotrac, unless otherwise noted.