The Trail Blazers, Spurs and Raptors are the next three teams I will be previewing for this off-season. Included in this preview are team’s contracts, options, free agents, draft picks, and cap space. I will dive into each team’s top priorities and biggest needs as well as best draft and free agent fits.
I have also previewed the off-season for the Pistons, Wizards and Hornets. You can check that out in the link below:
Portland Trail Blazers:
Under Contract:
- Deandre Ayton: 2 Years Left – $69.56M (4 Years – $132.93M), Extension Eligible
- Jerami Grant: 4 Years Left – $132.41M (5 Years – $160M), Last Year is Player Option
- Anfernee Simons: 2 Years Left – $53.57M (4 Years – $100M), Extension Eligible
- Malcolm Brogdon: 1 Year Left – $22.5M (2 Years – $45M), Extension Eligible
- Robert Williams III: 2 Years Left – $25.71M (4 Years – $48M), Extension Eligible
- Matisse Thybulle: 2 Years Left – $22.58M (3 Years – $33.08M), Last Year is Player Option
- Scoot Henderson: 3 Years Left – $34.59M (4 Years – $44.36M, Rookie Contract), Last 2 Years are Team Options
- Shaedon Sharpe: 2 Years Left – $15.01M (4 Years – $27.34M, Rookie Contract), Last Year is Team Option
- Kris Murray: 3 Years Left – $11.44M (4 Years – $14.28M, Rookie Contract), Last 2 Years are Team Options
- Duop Reath: 2 Years Left – $4.27M (3 Years – $6.22M)
- Jabari Walker: 1 Year Left – $2.02M (3 Years – $4.76M), Non-Guaranteed, Extension Eligible
- Toumani Camara: 3 Years Left – $6.52M (4 Years – $7.64M), Non-Guaranteed
- Rayan Rupert: 2 Years Left – $4.11M (3 Years – $5.23M), Last Year is Team Option
Options:
- Delano Banton: Team Option – $2.2M
Free Agents:
- Moses Brown (UFA)
Draft Picks:
- Projected 4th Pick (Protected 1-14 → CHI)
- Projected 14th Pick (From GSW, Protected 1-4)
- 34th Pick (From CHA)
- 40th Pick (From ATL)
Cap Space:
- Projected Maximum Cap Space: $33M+ over the cap
Top Priorities/Team Needs:
- Build around Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe: These two guys have only played in a handful of games together due to injury, but theoretically they would form a potent backcourt duo. They are very young, have the most potential on this team and should be the backcourt of the future.
- Is Anfernee Simons a core player of the future?: While Simons is currently the Trail Blazer’s best player, he is also 4-5 years older than Scoot and Sharpe. So, the front office and coaching staff need to figure out if he fits with the timeline, especially with the crowded backcourt. This question doesn’t need to be answered right away, but with 2 years left on his contract, they need to figure this out by next off-season. He’s on a valuable contract, so they could explore trade options and see what assets they can get in return.
- Is Deandre Ayton the long-term answer at center?: Ayton is only 25 years old with 2 years left on his contract. This question doesn’t need to be answered this offseason, but the front office needs to at least start thinking about it. Since they don’t have a young core player at center, it might be beneficial to keep him on this roster for at least another year to help with Scoot’s development as they have become a good pick-and-roll duo.
- Explore trades for Malcolm Brogdon, Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III, and Jerami Grant: The Trail Blazers are over the cap, and don’t have much flexibility with their roster over the next 2 seasons without trading some of these players. All of these players are on good contracts, so they should be able to get valuable draft assets in return. The only concern is if teams would be willing to risk trading for Williams or Brogdon due to their injury history.
- Young wings/forwards to add to the young core: This team already has their starting backcourt with Scoot, Sharpe, and/or Simons, as well as center depth with Ayton, Williams, and Reath. Therefore, it wouldn’t be logical for the Trail Blazers to draft players at that position with their 2 lottery picks. They need to add wings/forwards in the draft to add to this young core to develop alongside Scoot and Sharpe.
- Defense and Shooting: This year, they were one of the worst shooting teams in the league and had the fewest assists per game. They need to add players who can space the floor and hit shots. This would help create open lanes for Scoot and help develop his playmaking abilities. They were also a bottom 10 defensive team, so adding players with defensive ability and upside would massively improve this team.
Draft Fits:
- 4th Pick:
- Zaccharie Risacher
- Matas Buzelis
- Cody Williams
- 14th Pick:
- Dalton Knecht
- Tidjane Salaun
- Kyle Filipowski
Free Agent Fits:
- There is no cap space or roster spots available to sign free agents this off-season.
San Antonio Spurs:
Under Contract:
- Devin Vassell: 5 Years – $135M
- Keldon Johnson: 3 Years Left – $54M (4 Years – $74M)
- Zach Collins: 2 Years Left – $34.82M (3 Years – $22.05M)
- Victor Wembanyama: 3 Years Left – $43.01M (4 Years – $55.2M, Rookie Contract), Last 2 Years are Team Options
- Devonte Graham: 1 Year Left – $12.65M (4 Years – $47.3M), $2.9M Guaranteed, Extension Eligible
- Tre Jones: 1 Year Left – $9.1M (2 Years – $19M)
- Jeremy Sochan: 2 Years Left – $12.67M (4 Years – $23.05M, Rookie Contract), Last Year is Team Option
- Malaki Branham: 2 Years Left – $8.18M (4 Years – $14.18M, Rookie Contract), Last Year is Team Option
- Julian Champagnie: 3 Years Left – $9M (4 Years – $12M), Non-Guaranteed, Last Year is Team Option
- Blake Wesley: 2 Years Left – $7.35M (4 Years – $12.24M, Rookie Contract), Last Year is Team Option
- Charles Bassey: 2 Years Left – $5M (4 Years – $10M), Non-Guaranteed
- Sidy Cissoko: 2 Years Left – $4.11M (3 Years – $5.23M)
Options:
- None
Free Agents:
- Sandro Mamukelashvili (RFA)
- Dominick Barlow (RFA)
- Cedi Osman (UFA)
Draft Picks:
- Projected 5th Pick
- Potential 7-10 Pick (Protected 1-6 → TOR, 54.1% chance it conveys)
- 35th Pick (Protected 31-54 → BOS, and 31-49, 55-60 → PHX)
- 48th Pick (From LAL)
Cap Space:
- Projected Maximum Cap Space: $26M
Top Priorities/Team Needs:
- Don’t Rush the Rebuilding Process: A lot of people have been talking about the Spurs trading for a superstar player. While Victor Wembanyama is a generational talent, he is still very young and has yet to reach his full potential. They need to give Wemby at least another year of development before making any big moves. It would be ideal to pair him with the 5th pick in this year’s draft to develop together, building a young core for long-term success.
- Another Young Core Player: The Spurs have the 5th pick in the draft, and there are a handful of players that would fit with this team. As I mentioned in the section above, they need to add another young player with high upside to pair with Wemby for the future.
- Primary Playmaker: One of the biggest weaknesses this year for the Spurs was that they didn’t have a primary playmaker. They experimented with Sochan at point, which hindered the Spurs offense and Victor’s development. Tre Jones ended up as the main point guard, but he should be in a backup role instead. They could add a true point guard through the draft, with a few options in their range, or in free agency, with someone like Tyus Jones.
- Shooting: The Spurs are not a good shooting team, ranking as the 3rd worst 3-point shooting. Adding a couple of good shooters to space the floor could massively help Victor’s development. Players like Buddy Hield or Malik Beasley in free agency would be valuable additions to this team, plus they wouldn’t demand a ton of shot or a high-usage role.
Draft Fits:
- 5th Pick:
- Nikola Topic
- Reed Sheppard
- Rob Dillingham
- 7-10 Pick (If conveyed):
- Matas Buzelis
- Ron Holland
- Dalton Knecht
Free Agent Fits:
- Tyus Jones
- Buddy Hield
- Malik Beasley
Toronto Raptors:
Under Contract:
- R.J. Barrett: 3 Years Left – $83.12M (4 Years – $107M)
- Jakob Poeltl: 3 Years Left – $58.5M (4 Years – $78M), Last Year is Player Option
- Kelly Olynyk: 2 Years Left – $26.25M (3 Years – $37.2M)
- Chris Boucher: 1 Year Left – $10.81M (3 Years – $35.25M), Extension Eligible
- Scottie Barnes: 1 Year Left – $10.13M (4 Years – $33.05M, Rookie Contract), Extension Eligible
- Gradey Dick: 3 Years Left – $16.89M (4 Years – $21.42M, Rookie Contract), Last 2 Years are Team Options
- Jalen McDaniels: 1 Year Left – $4.74M (2 Years – $9.26M)
- Ochai Agbaji: 2 Years Left – $10.69M (4 Years – $18.73M, Rookie Contract), Last Year is Team Option
- Javon Freeman-Liberty: 1 Year Left – $1.89M (2 Years – $2.18M), $1K Guaranteed
Options:
- Bruce Brown: Team Option – $23M
Free Agents:
- Immanuel Quickley (RFA)
- Malik Williams (RFA)
- Gary Trent Jr. (UFA)
- Jordan Nwora (UFA)
- Garrett Temple (UFA)
Draft Picks:
- Projected 6th Pick (Protected 1-6 → SAS)
- 19th Pick (From IND)
- 31st Pick (From DET)
Cap Space:
- Projected Maximum Cap Space: $32M
Top Priorities/Team Needs:
- Extend Scottie Barnes: Barnes is eligible for an extension this summer. He won rookie of the year in 2022 and made his first all-star appearance this year. He’s a key part of the future for the Raptors, so this needs to be the top priority for the front office.
- Re-sign Immanuel Quickley: Quickley is a restricted free agent this summer. He was traded from the Knicks mid-season and took a statistical jump after taking over the starting point guard role for the Raptors. Since he was one of the major pieces they received in the OG Anunoby trade, they already invested in him as a long-term player. They have to re-sign Quickley and see if he can become a core player for the future.
- Make a decision on Bruce Brown: The Raptors have a team option for Bruce Brown on a team-friendly deal worth $23M. He’s only 27 years old and a 3-and-D player that would be valuable for a contending team. The best outcome would be to pick up the option and trade Brown for draft assets.
- Shooting: The Raptors were the 4th worst 3-point shooting team in the league this year. Adding players that can space the floor would help Scottie Barnes be more effective and take his offensive game to the next level.
- Do they want their pick to convey?: At the moment, the Raptors are projected to have the 6th pick in the draft. It’s protected 1-6, and if it falls out of the top 6 the pick goes to the Spurs. It has to convey by 2026, so the question is if they want it convey this year or not. This year’s draft class does not have top-end talent like in previous years or what next year’s draft class is projected to be. It’s also more likely the pick will convey next year if there is any improvement with this team. They have no control over the lottery results, but you have to question if they would like the 6th pick in this year’s draft or likely a lower pick in next year’s draft.
Draft Fits:
- 6th Pick:
- Stephon Castle
- Matas Buzelis
- Zaccharie Risacher
- Rob Dillingham
- 19th Pick:
- Tristan Da Silva
- Johnny Furphy
- Daron Holmes II
Free Agent Fits:
- Malik Monk
- Gary Harris
- Malik Beasley