The 2023 NBA Playoffs have begun which means all the other teams are already thinking about their summer plans and offseason moves.
Let’s take a closer look at the last two teams eliminated from the East – Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls – who fell short in the play-in tournament.
Chicago Bulls
Record: 40-42 (10th seed)
The Bulls kept their season alive by defeating the Toronto Raptors in their first game of the play-in tournament. Unfortunately, they couldn’t recreate that magic in Miami as they fell to the Heat.
Has the core of Nikola Vucecic, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine run its course? LaVine still has four years on his contract while DeRozan won’t be a free agent until next year. Vucevic, on the other hand, will be a free agent this offseason. Several role players including Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Patrick Beverley will also be free agents.
The Bulls are a scrappy, no-quit team as exhibited by their late surge this season to enter the play-in tournament. The late addition of Beverley improved their defensive outlook and they won 14 of their last 23 games. But what is the ceiling of this team? Are they willing to undergo another season as a fringing playoff team?
One of the main priorities for them is to figure out what to do with Vucevic. The veteran big man is still a reliable presence in the middle and we’re not just talking about his skills. In the age of load management and an emphasis on rest, Vucevic has logged in at least 70 games for the last three seasons, including 82 this year. The guy has been averaging a double-double since the 2018-2019 season. He’ll be 33 this October so the Bulls will have to figure out if they want Vucevic back.
But the biggest “what if?” for the Bulls this year is what if Lonzo Ball was healthy? The dynamic guard missed the entire season after undergoing a third surgery on his left knee. He has not played since January 2022 and has played only 35 games for the Bulls since joining them in the summer prior. He was supposed to be a key cog in the team’s future but the main concern for him right now is to get healthy again.
Toronto Raptors
Record: 41-41 (9th seed)
The unceremonious exit of the Toronto Raptors will be forever etched in NBA play-in history as the game where the shrieks of a young Diar DeRozan paved the way for a Bulls win. We’re exaggerating, of course. But the viral moment was backed up by the horrendous free throw shooting (at home!) by the Raptors.
But on a more serious note, it may be high time for the Raptors to make some serious changes. Since winning the 2019 Finals, it has been one disappointing season after another.
The Raptors didn’t make any drastic alterations this past trade deadline even though there were a lot of speculations surrounding OG Anunoby. They did, however, add Jakob Poetl in an attempt to beef up their rim protection and rebounding.
Like so many teams pondering questions this summer, you have to wonder if time has run out for the Raptors. There’s the matter of whether or not star guard Fred VanVleet decides to continue his career in Toronto. He has one year remaining on his four-year $85 million contract with a player option to either stay or test free agency waters. This past season, he put up 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, proving that he’s a reliable guard who can steer a team in the right direction.
Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are eligible for contract extensions and can become free agents by next year. This might be the franchise’s inflection point. Will we see a revamped roster by next season?
Speaking of potential changes, there are also a lot of rumblings with regard to head coach Nick Nurse. He has been on the sidelines for the last five seasons, including three playoff appearances. He has one year left on his contract and it’ll be interesting to see if the front office will decide to extend him or make a massive shakeup at the top.
