Raptors hoping to bolster depth in free agency

TSN Raptors Reporter

Follow| Archive

TORONTO – Happy salary cap New Year!

For all intents and purposes, the 2021-22 NBA campaign came to an end once the Golden State Warriors were crowned champions a couple weeks ago, and we’re more than three months away from opening night.

Officially, though, the league is getting set to turn the page. Out with the old season and in with the new. Internal audits and the start of another fiscal calendar may not get you fired up, but the result rarely disappoints. NBA free agency is here.

The window for teams to negotiate with players opens at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, and all signings can be made official once the new cap numbers are set and the moratorium is lifted next week.

This isn’t the strongest free-agent class in recent memory, but no matter. One way or another, this time of year tends to produce drama.

Transaction season has yet to kick off and we’ve already been treated to a high-stakes game of chicken between Brooklyn and Kyrie Irving as well as a few noteworthy trades, including the deal that sent all-star guard Dejounte Murray from San Antonio to Atlanta for a haul of draft picks on Wednesday evening.

For the Raptors, this was always expected to be a quiet off-season, and it seems to be playing out that way. Although they’ve been the subject of recent trade speculation, don’t forget that this is an organization that values continuity and has stated its intention to keep the team’s young core together while continuing to develop and build around it.

There are a few obvious caveats. They also value flexibility and have shown they’re not afraid to pivot when the situation calls for it. They’re opportunistic, and as hard as it is to imagine them making a big move this summer,