The Toronto Raptors are in a very awkward position this offseason. They’ve missed the playoffs the last three seasons but have a payroll that’s larger than half of the teams that did make the playoffs this season, including the two teams currently in the NBA Finals. And unlike other high-salaried lottery teams like Washington or Brooklyn, the Raptors don’t have a bunch of expiring contracts or bad contracts they’ve taken on for extra draft picks.
The Raptors also aren’t built like most of the playoff teams (and most contenders over the last 40 years).