Raptors Voted NBA's Worst Offseason amid Damian Lillard Trade Rumors by Insiders

The Toronto Raptors reportedly have emerged as candidates to acquire star point guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, but up to this point, the franchise has failed to impress with its offseason moves.

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, a poll of 15 scouts, coaches and executives from across the NBA voted the Raptors as having the worst offseason heading into the 2023-24 campaign.

Toronto received five votes and the Philadelphia 76ers placed second with four votes. The Miami Heat garnered two votes, while the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards each received one vote.

The Raptors' most notable free-agent signing is veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, who isn't exactly a difference-maker. Schröder was brought in to replace Fred VanVleet, who signed with the Rockets after spending seven years in Toronto.

"You can't lose Fred for nothing," an East executive said.

However, the Raptors can quickly change the perception of their offseason if they manage to acquire Lillard. Andscape's Marc J. Spears reported on Monday that two high-ranking NBA team executives said they "enter this week as the front-runners" to land the seven-time All-Star.

Training camp will officially open on Oct. 3, so it will be interesting to see if Toronto is able to make a move before then to turn its disappointing offseason around.