The lure of cap space is strong. It’s a blank canvas on which you can paint almost any future. Could LeBron James sign at a discount if Toronto drafts Bronny James, dubbing him “LeBronto” for real? What if the Raptors re-signed Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby and managed to add picks and players to rent? Could Paul George lead the Raptors back to the NBA Finals?
In reality, however, for a team like the Toronto Raptors, cap space is an overrated team-building tool. Even though Toronto is a large, cosmopolitan city, most NBA players don’t particularly like the reality of living outside the United States and having to go through customs every time they fly. The Raptors were also a losing team last year; For an “undervalued” market to have a chance in free agency, they need sustained excellence.
Even knowing that, there’s a temptation to protect cap space at all costs, whether it’s this summer or heading into future summers. The Philadelphia 76ers executed a plan to have max-level cap space open this summer and will reasonably go after stars. The Detroit Pistons also have plenty of cap space, but are simply looking for a path to 30 wins. Not all salary space is equal.
When negotiating Immanuel Quickley, Toronto may be tempted to value future cap space (or even current cap space) and walk away from negotiations. They also may or may not make other moves to try to maximize their cap space. That flexibility could be useful but it’s not the end goal, and the work the Raptors do in the draft, through the trade and in negotiating with their own players is much more valuable than having cap space and launching free agents available.
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