Looking at the teams that committed to a full rebuild recently, I can’t help but to notice that they now have a roster stacked with promising young pieces (25 yo or less):

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  • Cavs: Mobley, Garland, Allen, Okoro
  • Magic: Banchero, Fultz, Wagner, Suggs, Black, Carter Jr
  • Spurs: Wemby, Johnson, Vassel, Jones, Sochan
  • OKC: SGA, Holmgrem, Wallace, Giddey
  • Rockets: Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, Jalen Green, Sengun

Conversely, the Raptors have no draft capital and lots of either old or good-but-expiring pieces. Do you really think the future of this franchise is looking good?

Here are some interesting recent facts about our picks (or lack thereof):

  • Since 2017, we only had two top-15 1st round picks (Dick and Barnes who both so far seem to have very good ceilings).
  • Our most valuable players right now (OG and Pascal) are from 2015-2017 which was a period when we had four 1st-round picks (more good picks = more chances of getting good players)!
  • Our championship run was only possible because we had players that we drafted (JV, Poetl, DeRozan, Wright) to trade for Gasol, Dany and Kawhi.

so… please explain why is it such a bad idea to switch gears and focus on staking draft capital and finding young talent to match Dick and Barnes’ timeline?

  • drgnmemeBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Those are great points about the young talent on those teams. But if your goal is to win a championship, all we have to do is look at the last decade of NBA champions, and most weren’t constructed solely through a full rebuild:

    • The Bucks built around Giannis, a draft gem, but also made crucial trades for players like Middleton and Holiday.
    • The Lakers leveraged free agency with LeBron and traded for AD.
    • Our Raptors acquired Kawhi and Lowry via trades.
    • The Warriors are perhaps the closest to a ‘draft success story’ with Curry, Thompson, and Green, but such draft success is rare and they still supplemented with free agency (e.g., Durant).

    A full rebuild can change the winning culture of a team. Consider the 76ers and their ‘trust the process’ phase; it’s taken them a while and they’re still chasing that elusive championship. W

    While stacking draft capital is essential, balancing it with strategic trades and free agency moves often leads to more immediate and sustainable success.