6. Toronto Raptors
To be quite honest, it’s almost impossible to predict what the Toronto Raptors are going to be this season in the Eastern Conference. They have to talent to be competitive, there’s no doubt about that. However, if they do end up trading Pascal Siakam at some before the season or at the NBA Trade Deadline, that somewhat changes the outlook for the team. If Siakam isn’t on this team for the majority of the season, I don’t believe the Raptors are going to be a playoff team.
That said, I still don’t believe the Raptors are that motivated to trade Siakam just yet. It’s one of those things where I won’t believe it until it happens. Even if Siakam remains on the roster for the remainder of the season, the Raptors aren’t a top 5 team in the East. At least not on paper.
Maybe Scottie Barnes finally makes the jump to stardom this season and he raises the team’s overall ceiling. At least for now, that’s not something you can assume. The Raptors have a talented roster but are in the midst of a transition.