Robert Judin looks at a fairly uneventful offseason in Toronto.
There is not much to look forward to in Toronto. At the moment, there is more attention toward Drake’s new album than there was toward the Toronto Raptors all last season.
Trade
Faded memories of last place in the Atlantic Division and a 34-48 record have been replaced by faded expectations for a former first-overall pick.
Toronto’s off-season can be summed up with the dealing of Andrea Bargnani to the New York Knicks — congratulations, paisan.
Masai Urjiri did not hesitate to pull the trigger on the trade after being named the new general manager in June. He packed up Bargnani and sent him to Manhattan for Marcus Camby, Steve Novak and Quentin Richardson — Richardson and Camby have since been waived and cut from the roster. The Raptors also received a first-round pick in 2016 and second-round picks in 2014 and 2017.
Bargnani only played in 66 games over the past two seasons, so Urjiri told him (Drake voice) “take care.” At least they ended up with some picks at the end of the day.
Grade: C
Free Agency
Urjiri spent a little bit of cash on free agents Tyler Hansbrough and D.J. Augustin, and they also added unfulfilled potential in swingman Austin Daye. He’ll serve a back-up role behind Rudy Gay, who is still supposed to be “their guy.” Hansbrough and Augustin are decently good role players, but they will not push Toronto into the eighth seed.
Grade: C
Draft
Probably the most disappointing aspect of Toronto’s off-season was the lack of draft picks in the 2013 NBA Draft. Toronto joined the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat as the only teams with zero picks.
Grade: F
Summary
It was not a banner off-season for the NBA’s only Canadian team — sorry, Vancouver. The most beneficial addition to Toronto was in the front office. Urjiri might not have made any life-altering changes yet, unless you consider trading Bargnani monumental, but that’s not his style. He is the guy who traded Carmelo Anthony for 95 percent of the Knicks’ roster. He built a championship contender without a bonafide superstar. Urjiri is the type of general manager to build through the draft and piece together role players. He is the right guy to get the Raptors back on track.
Grade: C
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