 What is next for the Toronto Raptors? If you guys don't know by now on this channel We have a series called the what is next series We've done a few teams, so I'll put the playlist if you guys want to watch other teams episodes But in this episode, we're gonna talk about the Toronto Raptors Keep in mind this is before free agency But the thing about the Toronto Raptors is they're most likely going to go with the same team next season considering They just won an NBA Championship They won't have a lot of cap space and they don't have any draft picks until literally the 59th pick But the free agency is obviously the big one. Obviously they have Kawhi landed This man could either go to LA which he has stated that he would play in LA And there's been a lot of speculation about where he is gonna play next season The thing is that I believe after winning his championship with the Raptors I honestly cannot see him leaving this team. When you think about it He's just won an NBA championship and Kawhi has always stated that he just wants to play basketball and win His main priority is win. His persona just says win He doesn't really do anything off-court that makes him a star player in this league What he does do is play on court and he becomes a star player in this league from the way that he plays and not his persona His persona actually has kind of changed and there's been a little narrative change in the way that we all view Kawhi landed Yeah, he is still the strange laughing guy He's right there. Yeah, there you go But he's also now a star player in the West a star player in the East and an all-around guy that everybody seems to love Thank you. And like they said enjoy this. Enjoy this moment and have fun with it Aha Board man gets paid So Kawhi going to LA and I'm talking about the Clippers It wouldn't be because of what he wants to do outside of basketball It would be what he wants on the court and yeah The Clippers with Kawhi landed would be a very very good team number one They already have a really good supporting cast and we saw what they could do this year without a star player Adding in a guy like Kawhi landed would easily make them even higher of a Western Conference contender Considering the Raptors depth versus the Clippers depth isn't that much different And then you just adding Kawhi Leonard to either team and it automatically makes them an NBA championship contender The only thing that anybody a hundred percent knows is that Kawhi will decline his twenty one point three million dollar player option by June 29 So where will he be on that night? We don't know but the next day will either have the choice to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors or Go to a new team Obviously, what is the plan if Kawhi Leonard chooses a new team and leaves? Well, the Toronto Raptors would obviously still try and compete in the Eastern Conference because we just saw Pascal Siakham being a great primary scoring option in this year's NBA Finals and playoff series And he could take that next step Kyle Lowry has shown that he is an all-star caliber player and he is still a great point guard in the league Marcus Sol is another guy that would have to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors But after winning an NBA Finals, it would be hard for him not to Nick Nurse is still a great head coach And then Sergei Barker would probably come back Fred Van Fleet has also become an unrestricted free agent But the Raptors would be trying to sign him and lastly the other free agent would be Danny Green And I actually don't think Danny Green has a hundred percent certainty of re-signing with this team I believe he actually may go to another team because there's a lot of teams really needing a 3&D guy and a lot of teams demanding veteran leadership and skills and he is that So what do the Toronto Raptors do to get better if Kawhi Leonard re-signs with them? Because let's be honest, yes, of course they won the NBA Championship And I'm not just crediting what the Toronto Raptors did this season But if the Golden State Warriors hadn't have got hurt there may have been a different outcome Which obviously suggests that the Raptors needed to improve even more than they have last season I feel like that goes for any team though Once you even win the NBA Championship every other team is coming for your head So I feel like every team needs to improve at some area of their game So the Toronto Raptors obviously if they re-sign Kawhi Leonard what else do they need to do to get better? The Raptors would now have the ability to have a tax players mid-level exception Which is a deal around five point five million dollars a season to offer And that could be really enticing for a guy who's a ring chaser I mean we just saw it with the Marcus Cousins for the Warriors last season So who knows? Plus there is also a two point nine million dollar trade exception which expires on July 19th In addition, there's other guys from the G League Other guys like Chris Boucher who he was an MVP in the G League He was raised in Montreal and Malcolm Miller could also be a guy that could be retained And to get a contract offer from the Raptors In the end we all kind of know that it really just depends on what Kawhi Leonard chooses to do this offseason But if he doesn't come back Who are the potential free agency targets that the Raptors could go after? And in my opinion number one it would be Chris Middleton He would have to be a guy that could replace Kawhi Leonard I'm not sure if he leaves the box after finally being an All-Star with Yannis Anticompo on the box Actually having a very good season with only the potential to keep getting better I think he would stay with the box But let's say the Raptors offer him max money And he really just wants to join the Raptors with Kawhi Leonard leaving But I don't think Toronto would actually have the cap space to get him from the box And I just don't think he'd leave the box anyway So the other guys would be JJ Redick I believe JJ Redick could sign somewhere else this offseason Considering they don't know where Jimmy Butler is going to play They don't know where Tobias Harris is going to play And they may retool their roster alongside Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid And try and get another third-star caliber player in this year's free agency If neither of those two guys come back So JJ Redick may be like you know what I don't want to come back to Philadelphia And if he's on the free agency market and Danny Green leaves Then I think he could be a good pickup for them Bogdanovich Obviously he's a guy from the Indiana Pacers that can score a little bit He's not Kawhi Leonard at all But I mean if you can't get Kawhi Leonard You have to go after somebody And the only real guys that they can go after that could replace Kawhi Leonard Will be a guy like Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, Chris Middleton But I just don't see any of those guys Realistically signing with the Toronto Raptors Which is why I think either Bogdanovich Or a guy like Julius Randall could be a fit in Toronto If they want to get paid Go to Toronto But this is only if Kawhi Leonard leaves But that's the thing We just don't know what his plans are going into next season And he does have meetings set up with the Clippers The Knicks And a few more teams The other guy that I'd be looking at If I'm the Toronto Raptors would be Harrison Barnes I think Harrison Barnes is a guy that really can take that next step If he just decides to put in that work I feel like he has the potential He's 26 years old So he's still reasonably young He averaged around 17 points 5 rebounds on 42% shooting 40% from 3 He declined his $25 million options So some are wondering if he'll opt out to sign a longer deal With the Sacramento Kings Or if he's looking to change teams And I mean if they do lose Kawhi Leonard Once again the Raptors are in need of a small forward And Harrison Barnes isn't Kawhi Leonard at all But he could be a fit if the Raptors need a guy And they can't go after any of the big name free agents Like Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler Harrison Barnes might just have to do But in the end we won't know until Kawhi can make his decision One thing that I would love is if the Raptors Know Kawhi is going to leave If he could just have a sign and trade deal That would be insane But it's just probably not going to happen I just don't want the Raptors to struggle And I don't really want Kawhi Leonard to leave But we just have to wait and see at this point In the end I think the Raptors just need more shooting They have a few guys like Norman Powell Fred Van Fleet who could leave this team Not that I think they will But they could And they have the potential to leave this team So I think a guy could be like Wayne Ellington Who is just an all around great shooter And a great veteran guy Another guy would be Reggie Bullock Who is a great shooter as well He plays a little bit better defense James Ennis A really good replacement for Danny Green And a guy that I would absolutely love If the Raptors could go after Even if he literally plays like two minutes a game Would be Vince Carter I hate that it ended that way Just because there's so many great memories here And we had great times here And I think when every player got here He was like wow I didn't know Toronto was like that And that was my thing It was just a great feeling to see Like yeah this is the best kept secret And now for the little brother The Raptors that kind of make their name And create the buzz here And create young players in the NBA today I mean it never gets old Never gets old As soon as I got here Everything seemed so right Toronto basketball is here Make his last year in Toronto That's what I would love I would that would be the best thing ever Leave a like if you want to see that Because I just really want to see that happen Another guy that I think they could go after Would be a guy like Wesley Mathews He hasn't really been himself Since his Achilles injury But he still is a great 3 and D guy Not so defense But definitely a great 3 point shooter And I think he would be a great fit For the Toronto Raptors But obviously it all depends on what Kauai Leonard does So let me know down below What you think is next for the Toronto Raptors Do you think Kauai Leonard returns to this team Or do you think he leaves Let me know down below Leave a like if you enjoyed the video Subscribe if you're new Follow me on Instagram And I'll catch you guys in my next video I am out Peace