Toronto Raptors: 3 players not likely to return in 2020-21

2. Marc Gasol

Parting ways with a key member of the championship team is going to be challenging for players and fans alike. With the way Marc Gasol has played this season, there’s simply no other option.

Gasol came over from the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal at last year’s trade deadline. The center immediately became a top player, although he saw his role as a primary scorer reduced due to the other players that newly surrounded him. His scoring average dropped from 15.7 points to 9.1 points per game after the trade.

His postseason performance reflected similar trends. He averaged 9.4 points per game in the playoffs, the lowest playoff scoring average of his career. It appeared the Spaniard’s days as an elite option were numbered and he chose to opt into his $25.6 million player option for the 2019-20 season.

This season has been the worst of Gasol’s professional career. He’s averaging a career-low 7.6 points per game. He’s still rebounding and passing well and he’s shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. Still, Gasol is clearly at the end of his professional rope. He has also struggled with a hamstring injury all year.

Gasol will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Unless he’s willing to take a drastic pay cut, his time with Toronto will end after just a year and a half.