NBA Free Agency Atlantic Division Primer – The Eastern Powerhouse

Toronto Raptors

Situation Entering Offseason:

A magical season where the team from the North won it all and witnessed great growth. Every move GM Masai Ujiri made paid off in spades. Pascal Siakam vaulted into the most improved player in the league and the goal is to get OG Anunoby to improve upon his game this offseason after a year of tragedy and bad look derailed his campaign.

Oddly, the champions are in flux based on one player – get Kawhi Leonard to re-sign and contend to repeat. Lose him and decide whether to blow up the team immediately or play the year out with all the other pieces except Leonard (and likely Green if Kawhi departs).

Salary:

Cap Space: $ (80,568,216.00)
Floor Space: $ 17,761,935.00
Max Space: $ 20,127,784.00
Projected Space: $ (69,485,378.00)

*as per Keith Smith of Real GM

Key free agents to re-sign:

Given the Warriors injuries, the Raptors have the biggest free agent to re-sign in Kawhi Leonard. Retaining him would mean the team could run it back and make decisions easier in the North. But, if Leonard chooses to go play at home (LA Clippers) Masai Ujiri will need to make decisions.

He stated in his end of season presser the goal was to bring back everyone and he sure didn’t look like a man who thought that wasn’t going to happen. Shortly afterward Marc Gasol opted into his final year. Leonard meanwhile is reportedly set to talk to the Clippers on July 2nd, but while Ujiri refused to give details outside of he’s talked to Leonard, Uncle Dennis and Leonard’s people he hinted at his confidence in retaining the star.

Leonard could virtually hand pick his team at this point and while he can sign a five-year deal with the Raptors he may elect to sign a one and one deal in order to reach the 10-year marker and then reenter free agency.

2019 Roster Depth:

• OG Anunoby
• Chris Boucher
• Serge Ibaka
• Kyle Lowry
• Jordan Loyd
• Malcolm Miller
• Norman Powell
• Pascal Siakam
• Fred VanVleet

Draft Picks:

• Dewan Hernandez
• Sagaba Konate (signed to 2-way contract immediately following 2019 draft)

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

2019 free agents

Kawhi Leonard (opted out)
Danny Green
Marc Gasol (opted in)
Jeremy Lin
Patrick McCaw (Restricted)
Jodie Meeks
Eric Moreland

2020 free agents

Kyle Lowry
Serge Ibaka
Fred VanVleet
Pascal Siakam (Restricted)
Jordan Loyd (Restricted)
Chris Boucher (Restricted)
Malcolm Miller (Restricted)

For years pundits and fans referred to the Atlantic Division as the TiTANKic division especially when the 76ers were still in the midst of ‘the process’. That all changed this season when four of the five teams comprised half of the Eastern Conference playoff seeds.

Heading into the moratorium this division is likely to have the greatest impact on the NBA league-wide based on what the numerous top line free agents decide and the overarching effects of their decisions. As for how it will impact the OKC Thunder much depends on where those same elite free agents elect to play.

As an example, if most either re-sign (Leonard, Harris, Reddick, Gasol, Green) while others (Irving, Butler) stay in the East it won’t upset the teacart by the same degree. But, if a majority of those players head West it will serve to make the West even more competitive.