The Toronto Raptors had a disappointing 2023 season that ended in them missing the NBA Playoffs. With the offseason in full swing for President Masai Ujiri, the frustration of the regular season is now boiling into offseason negotiations with Fred VanVleet, reports Heavy's Steve Bulpett.
“Masai (Ujiri) is really, really frustrated,” one general manager who has dealt with the Raptors said of Ujiri. “He’s frustrated with VanVleet also, because he hasn’t shown him any indication that he wants to stay. So I think he’s really down about that situation. Maybe it’s because everything’s still so fresh, but there’s a lot they have to get done there. It didn’t surprise anyone that Nick moved on.”
With the departure of head coach Nick Nurse, it sounds like a mass hiatus might be coming for Toronto. It would be a swift fall from grace after winning a title in 2019.
Once Kawhi Leonard left, no one expected the Raptors to compete like they did in 2019. However, Ujiri has been one of the most well respected executives in basketball, and many expected him to at least keep the Raptors in playoff contention. The indication now is that the Raptors are heading for a complete rebuild.
If the Raptors are unable to keep Fred VanVleet, they would be hard pressed to try and stave off the aforementioned rebuild. Based on the frustration of Masai Ujiri, he probably wants to keep the current core as long as he can; the inevitability right now looks to be VanVleet joining Nurse in a departure from Toronto.
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