San Antonio Spurs
Marquee player who needs a fresh start: Keldon Johnson
If there's one thing that has become clear for Keldon Johnson over the last couple of seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, it's the fact that he's probably no longer considered a key part of the rebuild. Over the last two years, he's seen his role diminish more and more with the team and because of that, his overall production has taken quite a hit. If he isn't traded at this year's deadline, there's probably a good chance that he's shopped during the offseason.
Still a good player who can do some versatile things on the offensive end of the floor, he doesn't appar to be a great fit next to Victor Wembanyama and the rest of this young core. And as the Spurs continue to build around Wemby, we're likely going to see a few pieces moved around. Johnson is almost certainly going to end up being one of those players that finds himself on a new team in the future. In 2025, that's probably the best path forward for both sides.
Toronto Raptors
Marquee player who needs a fresh start: Kelly Olynyk
The Toronto Raptors are one of the most intriguing teams in the Eastern Conference in my eyes. Even though they haven't seen the results they'd like to see in terms of wins and losses, this is a team that is going to be able to compete in the conference in the not-so-distant future. But even though the outlook is high for the Raptors, there is one player whose timeline clearly doesn't fit with the young Raptors. And that's Kelly Olynyk, who has battled his fair share of injuries so far this year.
Playing in only 11 games so far this season, the argument could be made that it's time for Olynyk to get a fresh start. At this point in his career, he deserves to be playing for a contender and not for a team that is still considered in the early stages of a rebuild. Olynyk probably loves playing for the Raptors but he may deserve a shot to win a title before the end of his career. That's not going to happen in Toronto.