The Toronto Raptors just had their best season in franchise history and now the summer of 2014 is very important for the future of the team, as Kyle Lowry could leave as in free agency and if that happens, the team could look to trade DeMar DeRozan or Terrence Ross for draft picks to build with and that leaves Masai Ujiri with some big decisions this offseason.
The Raptors ended up winning the Atlantic division with a 48-34 record and that was the best ever for the franchise and came after many predicted that the team would finish in the bottom of the east. Ujiri has a team with young talent and while it may be hard to stomach to trade players like DeRozan or Ross, the team may have to do that if Lowry leaves. Lowry is the centerpiece and with DeRozan emerging, Lowry leaving could stunt all of that and that is why the team is pushing hard to keep him up north.
Lowry had a fine season and the best one of his career and while he may want to remain in Toronto, he is going to get chased by a number of teams in free agency. The Raptors clearly have a nice young core and good head coach with Dwane Casey coming back on a contract, but the money might be too good elsewhere for Lowry to pass up. The Knicks spent last season trying to trade for Lowry and they will be one team in the mix to sign him, while the Los Angeles Lakers are also interested in bringing him in to take over for Steve Nash.
Dwane Casey is back as head coach after signing a new deal with Ujiri and that could be one reason why Lowry stays, as he played some of his best ball under Casey and fits the system the team runs very well. The team made it into the playoffs as Atlantic division winners and ended up losing in seven games to the Brooklyn Nets. Before the season many predicted that the team would try and tank to get Canadian star Andrew Wiggins in the draft, but clearly the team outperformed those expectations and was not even in the lottery.
Ujiri now has to decide how he wants to build up this team and keeping Lowry is the number one priority and that could give the team some uncertainty heading into the summer. According to ESPN.com the Raptors are also targeting Vince Carter for a reunion after he was with the team earlier in his career and if Lowry stays he could be more likely to sign. DeRozan averaged over 20 points this season and was an All-Star, while Lowry averaged 17 points and seven assists and he is emerging as a legitimate star.
The Raptors were not expected to compete this season, especially after the Rudy Gay trade, but that only made them better and deeper on the bench. The Gay move was expected but the results were not and now the team comes in as defending champs in the Atlantic division and signing Kyle Lowry will be priority one for the team.
