NBA Hope Index: How far is each team from a ring heading into 2017-18?

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defends Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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TORONTO, ON – MAY 07: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball in the second half of Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on May 7, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

14. Toronto Raptors

Going into this summer, the best the Raptors could have hoped for was to bring back Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka on three-year deals that paid them annual salaries of roughly $30 million and $20 million, respectively.

They got their wish. Now they face reality.

No one wants the next three years of Jonas Valanciunas. Kyle Lowry cannot get much better, and they have no appreciable money to spend until 2020. Worst of all, even on their best day, they are no match for whoever comes out of the West the next few seasons.

This assumes they can even make it that far, which would be a stretch for this team as currently constructed, even if LeBron bolts Cleveland next summer.

The good news is that they’re core is solid and knows how to play together. They also have Masai Ujiri at the helm. Those two things alone at least give them an outside shot to make a Finals at some point during the Lowry/DeRozan/Ibaka era.

Path to Glory: A couple of their young guys play well enough that they become a player for the next Paul George, and they mortgage their future for a shot at a ring in either 2018-19 or 2019-20.

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