The Toronto Raptors just had the best season in franchise history and that could be enough to get Kyle Lowry to stay with the team after he is set to be an unrestricted free agent, while Masai Ujiri may target names like Lance Stephenson, Evan Turner, Vince Carter or Avery Bradley on the market after signing head coach Dwane Casey to a new deal.
Lowry is the biggest concern for the Raptors heading into the summer and this comes after Lowry and DeMar DeRozan had their best seasons as professionals and the future now is looking very bright for the franchise. The team now has a strong core and keeping Lowry will be a top priority for Ujiri and while he may commend some money and attention, his skills have shown that he is one of the top young guards in the league and that could get the Raps to make sure he stays up north.
The way the fans supported the team during the playoffs has to be promising for the Raptors and moving forward they have the chance to be the number one draw in the city, as the Maple Leafs have not been able to sustain success over the past decade. The Raptors haven't either, but they have the chance to make a push in a very weak eastern conference and if LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony leaves the Heat or Knicks, there could be an even bigger void.
According to ESPN.com, the Raptors have signed Casey to a new three year deal and that keeps him in pace after taking the team to the playoffs as division winners while winning a franchise best 48 games this season. The deal is an important one for the Raptors, as they now have a leader in place for the next few years and this is a stark change from the beginning of the season, as many thought the team would try to tank to get the number one pick since Andrew Wiggins is Canadian. After making the Rudy Gay trade, many thought the season would be nothing for the Raptors, but they did not let that affect them and it may have made the team even better.
Lowry and DeMar DeRozan showed how talented they are, with the latter making the All-Star team and the former being called as the biggest snub and along with Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross, the team has a very nice young core. ESPN.com reports that the team may look at Vince Carter as an option in free agency, as he was a star with the team for many years and that could get the fans excited. Carter has played well in Dallas and he expressed interest in staying there, but he also said that he would be open to coming "home" to Toronto as well.
The team finished as the third seed in the east and if they can keep Lowry they have the chance to be very good again and bringing in players like Stephenson or Turner could be options as well. Ujiri has shown he is a competent GM that can build a team and he looks to be trying to do that with the Raptors have building back the Nuggets. Greivis Vasquez is another player that could return and adding Carter looks like a prime option as well.
