With a game 7 loss against the Cavaliers, the Magic are eliminated from 2024 NBA championship contention

Fade em

link:

Raptors below:

State of the roster: For the third time in four years, Toronto enters the offseason out of the playoffs. The foundation of Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam no longer is on the roster. Anunoby and Siakam were replaced with Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji and future draft picks.

The Raptors went 9-32 after the Siakam trade and finished with their fewest wins since 2011-12. "I don't know [whether] to call this a rebuild or a reset or however we want to put it, but a normal rebuild with other teams takes ... five, six years. Do we have the patience for that?" Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in February. A three-to-five-year rebuild starts with a stockpile of draft picks and a group of young first-round picks on their rookie contracts.

The Raptors are not in that position. They are in a similar place to the Pacers retool that started in February 2022 when Domantas Sabonis was swapped for Tyrese Haliburton.

Instead of the All-Star Haliburton to build around, the Raptors have a franchise player in Scottie Barnes. Barnes, Quickley, Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick and Kelly Olynyk give Toronto with a foundation to work from.

The Raptors also have $40 million in expiring contracts (Brown and Chris Boucher) to use in a trade either in the offseason or closer to the deadline. They could also enter free agency with close to $32 million if Brown's option is declined.

Offseason finances: The Raptors are in position to have cap space for the first time since 2015 if they decline Brown's option and renounce all their free agents except for Quickley. They have until June 29 to pick up Brown's option.

If the option is declined, Toronto could create up to $26 million in room. Quickley has a $12.5 million hold, and the Raptors can use cap space before re-signing the guard, who will be a restricted free agent. Not including a new contract for Quickley, Toronto has $93 million in guaranteed salary. If the Raptors remain over the cap, they'll have the $12.9 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception and $4.7 million biannual exception.

The Raptors also have two trade exceptions ($10.2 and $1.6 million). They would have the $8 million room midlevel exception if they operate as a cap space team.

Top front office priority: Do not expect the Raptors to lose their starting point guard in free agency again. Quickley is a restricted free agent and it is all but certain Toronto will tender him a one-year, $8.5 million qualifying offer by June 29.

The real negotiation starts the day after the Finals end, when Quickley and the Raptors can begin discussing a new deal. In the role as full-time starter, Quickley averaged a career-high 6.8 assists and 18.6 points. The Raptors averaged 114.1 points per 100 possessions and were a plus-2.9 with Quickley sharing the court with Barrett and Barnes. A four-year, $109 million contract with a starting salary of $24.5 million would put Quickley in the middle of the pack of starting point guard salaries. The average starting point guard salary in 2024-25 is $27.8 million.

The Raptors also have a decision to use Brown's $23 million salary as a trade chip or to create cap space. Brown averaged 9.6 points but shot only 31.7% on 3-pointers. Because of the minimum salary rule, the Raptors need to spend at least $126.9 million of the salary cap by the first day of the regular season.

Extension candidate to watch: Expect Barnes to join Siakam, Chris Bosh and Vince Carter as the only rookie max extensions in franchise history. Barnes is eligible to sign a five-year, $225 million contract that could possibly increase to $269 million if All-NBA language is negotiated.

Before breaking his left hand on March 1, Barnes was averaging a career-high 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists. His 3-point shooting improved from 28.1% to 34.1%. Barnes was one of four players this season with multiple games of 30 points, 3 blocks and 3 steals, along with Anthony Davis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.

Team needs: Point guard depth and bench scoring on the perimeter. The Raptors could go with a combination of Liberty-Freeman and Brown (if his option is exercised) behind Quickley. Liberty-Freeman started four games in March, averaging 12.5 points. The Raptors ranked 28th in 3-point percentage from their reserves.

Future draft assets: If Toronto does send its 2024 first to San Antonio, the Raptors would then be allowed to trade their 2025 first starting on the night of the draft. If the first is retained, the next allowable year is 2027. The first owed to San Antonio is top-6 protected in 2025 and 2026. Toronto is owed a future first-round pick from Indiana (top-4 protected in 2026 and 2027). The Raptors also have four second-round picks available.

So far, Kevin Love has made the postseason 6 times in his career, and up until the 2023-24 season, 5 out of the 6 times he made the playoffs he made an appearance in the NBA Finals one way or another. 4 of those 5 times he made the NBA Finals were from the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers, and the other was the 2022-23 Miami Heat with Jimmy Butler.

This streak ended when the Miami Heat was eliminated in 5 games in the 2024 Eastern Conference 1st Round against the Boston Celtics. Love has averaged 13.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists during his playoff career. Source: Basketball Reference, .

I've often been confused by how cap space works sometimes. If a team has a player and their contract runs out and they don't re-sign them, does that clear out depending on their contract value? Or does it only occur in certain situations?

And the idea of preserving salary slots, where getting rid of a high priced player helps to preserve that salary's slot? I'm just kinda confused by that part of it more than anything. If anyone can explain that, I'd really appreciate that. Thanks!

Interesting award which is based purely on stats. The raw data says Barnes is a dawg.

Here is an in depth player analysis of Bobi Klintman.