A puzzling cloud of indecision seemed to hover over the Toronto Raptors front office's head throughout the 2022-23 season amid a lackluster campaign. Given their mediocrity, it wasn't surprising at all to see the possibility of a few blockbuster trades sending away the likes of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby, among others, come to fruition.

At the end of the day, however, the Raptors decided to stand pat, holding onto Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. — four players who drew considerable interest on the trade market. In fact, they even decided to trade for Jakob Poeltl in a last-ditch effort to right the ship. Now, instead of getting something in return for VanVleet, they watched him move elsewhere in free agency, leaving the team with nothing in return.

Months after witnessing Fred VanVleet leave his beloved Raptors franchise empty-handed, president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri reflected upon his team's decision to hold onto their prized guard, rebuffing reported interest from the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic, among other teams.

“Could we have traded Fred [VanVleet] at the trade deadline? If that was a failure, we take responsibility for it, but sometimes it also depends on opportunity and respect for the player, and we respect Fred,” Ujiri said, per Louis Zatzman of Raptors Republic.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Scottie Barnes got down to business on vacation in Cancun.

Nick Meyer ·

Former NBA player Jontay Porter and New Orleans Pelicans player Larry Nance Jr.

Preston Byers ·

Raptors Darko Rajakovic and Masai Ujiri next to the 2024 NBA Draft logo

Shervon Fakhimi ·

It seems like the Raptors, in respecting Fred VanVleet, believed in his ability to help the franchise bounce back after such a rough start to the 2022-23 season. After all, the Raptors won 48 games the previous season. But this just lends further credence to the idea that Masai Ujiri's asking price for his players seem to be exorbitant, throwing off prospective trade partners in the process.

The Raptors, of course, know the value of remaining a bit competitive. The next available megastar who could help propel the team back to contention may be right around the corner, a la Kawhi Leonard in 2018. But Ujiri, of all people, know the value of maximizing assets. And with regards to VanVleet, it's evident that they were unable to make the most out of his value given the greater context of their 2022-23 season.