12. Toronto Raptors
Marquee summer move: Losing Kawhi Leonard in free agency
No matter what the team did this summer, the Toronto Raptors‘ offseason was always going to be viewed as somewhat of a disappointment if they didn’t retain Kawhi Leonard. Which exactly what took place over the summer. Nevertheless, after winning their first NBA Championship in franchise history, the team shouldn’t hold their heads down.
Even less so considering that they still have budding superstar Pascal Siakam still on their roster, and probably still just scratching the surface on the player that he can be. Toronto is still likely a surefire playoff team in the East, but not sure will be a true contender to come out of the gauntlet.
That will largely depend on how both Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol look like with expanded roles with Kawhi now in Los Angeles. Still, expect the Raptors to be a headache no matter who they match up against this season.