With the way NBA free agency and recent trades have shaped up, it looks like a majority of the Eastern Conference is undertaking Sam Hinkie’s famous “Process”. Stocking up assets, getting high draft picks, and just plain stinking in the short term. However, something is brewing across the border. Quietly, the Toronto Raptors have ascended into the first-tier of Eastern Conference competitors and have a legitimate opportunity to become Conference Champions in the near future.
Kyle Lowry, an All-Star caliber PG, was re-signed to a 3 year/$100M deal. Serge Ibaka was resigned to a 3 year/$65M deal. With DeMar DeRozan locked up for the next four years, the Raptors now have a solid core they can build around for next season. With Paul George and Jimmy Butler on their way to the West, the Eastern Conference is wide open. Younger teams like the Bucks and Sixers find themselves primed with playoff potential, while the more experienced teams, the Cavs, Celtics, Wizards, and Raptors, find themselves fighting to be the alpha dog of the Eastern Conference.
The Raptors’ 2016-17 campaign was a disappointment. They got swept by the team they were supposedly built to beat. However, they didn’t press the panic button. By locking up their core of Lowry, DeRozan, and Ibaka, the Raptors have made their intentions clear for the next few seasons: Go all out and try to win. The NBA has changed dramatically over the last year. Either acquire star players to win now or move aside and let the big dogs fight. The Raptors have the personnel to become big dogs of the East. Now, they have to go out and prove it.
