Toronto Raptors: Complete 2018 offseason grades

After the Toronto Raptors’ core added another playoff failure to their resume, the team finally shook things up. Here are grades for the moves that were made and how will they impact the 2018-19 season.

The Toronto Raptors had given everybody reason to believe during the 2017-18 regular season. They jettisoned the bulk of their supporting cast from the previous year and allowed their talented young role players to spread their wings. They won a franchise-high 59 games and all the numbers pointed to them being the best team in the East.

In a conference full of one-way teams, Toronto appeared to have all the makings of a contender. No other team in the East had a top-10 offense and defense, while the Raptors were top-five in both categories.

They effectively managed the minutes for Kyle Lowry, allowing him to enter the playoffs healthy for the second consecutive season. DeMar DeRozan developed his abilities as a playmaker and appeared to be making steps towards being a more complete player.

Despite all these factors, skeptics still remained. Questions of mental toughness lingered despite all of the team’s success. When the second round arrived, all hell broke loose.

The Raptors imploded in the final minutes of Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers and never recovered. They were swept by a Cavs team that was a possession or two away from being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers, as well as the remains of the Boston Celtics. It was clear something needed to change.

So Masai Ujiri and the Raptors brought the change that so many had prescribed to the team. They shook things up and shocked the world with some of their moves.

So let’s evaluate each of their transactions this summer and see what it could mean for the upcoming NBA season.