San Antonio Spurs
1 Bold prediction: Trade for a superstar
The San Antonio Spurs have to feel great about where they stand as a franchise. Victor Wembanyama is playing excellent basketball and has seemingly taken another step forward in his development during his sophomore season. Interestingly enough, the Spurs are in the Play-In Tournament picture in the Western Conference. While I still find it hard to believe that they will win a spot in the postseason, the strides that this team has made so far this year are certainly promising.
Because of the strides that the team has made this season, I anticipate we're going to see this front office be quite aggressive during the offseason. My bold prediction for the Spurs heading into the summer is that they will trade for a superstar who will complement Wemby. In hopes of making the big jump to contention next season, nothing will be off the table for the Spurs heading into the offseason.
Toronto Raptors
1 Bold prediction: Scottie Barnes will embrace the star role even more
The Toronto Raptors have quietly built one of the most talented young rosters in the Eastern Conference. As they continue to gain valued experience this season, I do believe this is a team that is going to jump on many people's radar next season. And during the second half of this year and into the summer, one key storyline to watch is how Scottie Barnes continues to develop as a budding star in this league. My one bold prediction for the Raptors is that Barnes will begin to embrace the star role on the team even more in 2025.
Barnes has everything you want in a face of the franchise and a superstar. It's just a matter of putting it all together and finding a path toward clicking with the rest of the core. I believe we're going to start seeing much more evidence of that during the 2025 calendar year. Once that happens, we're going to see how much potential this Raptors team may have in the long run. It'd be hard to bet against this team playing a playoff factor as soon as next season in the Eastern Conference.