Raptors offseason preview: Free agents, contracts, draft picks and the biggest question facing Toronto in 2024

The 2023-24 season is over for the Raptors.

Toronto has experienced its fair share of ups and downs as it transitions into a new era of basketball. At the head of it all is Scotty Barnes, who rose to stardom when he got the keys to the franchise.

Barnes is one of the very few certainties regarding the Raptors and their future. There will be a few questions this offseason as free agency and the NBA Draft quickly approach.

What's next for the Raptors in the offseason? Here's a look at what decisions they'll make in free agency, the NBA draft and beyond.

MORE: Post-March Madness 2024 NBA mock draft: Where will Donovan Clingan and Zach Eady land?

Raptors upcoming free agents

Toronto's free agency situation is interesting. Among Toronto's most notable free agents are Bruce Brown Jr., Gary Trent Jr. and Immanuel Quickley.

The Raptors are free agents in the 2024 offseason

Unlimited	Limited	Player option	Command option
Jordan Nwora	Jontay Porter*	No	Bruce Brown Jr.
Garrett Temple	Immanuel Quickley
Gary Trent Jr

*Bilateral

Brown has a $23.0 million team option for the 2024-25 season. After retaining Brown at the 2024 trade deadline, the Raptors could try to use that option to seek a trade in the offseason.

Trent is an unrestricted free agent and can move to another team. After the trade deadline, Raptors GM Bobby Webster said, “I think it's a little bit TBD on Gary,” part of the team's future.

Quickley is a restricted free agent, meaning Toronto will match any offer sheet he signs with another team. After offering to make Quickley their point guard of the future, the Raptors are evaluating how much money to offer the 24-year-old.

Raptors future salaries, list

RJ Barrett will be Toronto's highest-paid player through the 2024-25 season and is also under contract through 2027. Barnes is entering his fourth season, so he is eligible for a max contract extension this offseason.

All numbers via Spotrac.

Player	2024-25	2025-26	2026-27	2027-28
RJ Barrett	$25,794,643	$27,705,357	$29,616,071	UFA
Bruce Brown Jr.	$23,000,000 (TO)	UFA
Jacob Poeltl	$19,500,000	$19,500,000	$19,500,000 (PO)	UFA
Kelly Olynyk	$12,804,878	$13,445,122	UFA
Chris Boucher	$10,810,000	UFA
Scotty Barnes	$10,130,980	RFA
Grady Dick	$4,763,760	$4,990,560 (TO)	$7,131,511 (TO)	RFA
Jalen McDaniels	$4,741,800	UFA
Ochai Agbaji	$4,310,280 (TO)	$6,383,525 (TO)	RFA
Javon Freeman-Liberty	$1,891,857 (NG)	RFA
DJ Carton	Double sided	RFA
Muhammadu Gue	Double sided	RFA

P.O = Player option

TO = Group option

N.G = Not guaranteed

UFA = Unrestricted free agent

RFA = Restricted Free Agent

Raptors 2024 NBA draft pick

The Raptors have three picks in the 2024 NBA draft. Here is a summary of Toronto's project capital:

First round

• Raptors first round pick (six protected)
• Pacers first round pick (top three protected)

Second round

• Pistons Second Round Pick (No Defense)

Under the terms of the 2023 trade that brought Poeltl back to Toronto, the Raptors' first-round pick in the upcoming draft is protected from the top six. The Raptors will keep their pick if they fall in the top six. If the pick falls outside the top six, it goes to the Spurs.

Toronto finished the 2023-24 season with the sixth-worst record, giving it a 45.8% chance of retaining its pick.

The Raptors received a first-round pick from the Pacers as part of the Pascal Siakam trade in January. With Indiana clinching a spot in the NBA playoffs, his pick will be taken to Toronto.

Toronto acquired Detroit's second-round pick from New York in the OG Anunoby trade. If the Pistons finish with the worst record in the NBA, the Raptors will get the first pick in the second round of this year's draft.

MORE: Details on Raptors' future NBA draft cap

One burning question

What personality is the team developing?

This season, the Raptors have made it clear that the future revolves around Barnes.

Toronto is starting to create more roster flexibility moving forward, getting younger from franchise staples. The Raptors have chosen a direction, but now need to develop an identity.

Barnes is a 22-year-old star player, which is nothing to scoff at. At 6-7, he's exceptionally skilled as a scorer, playmaker and defender, and he's only scratching the surface.

So what happens now?

With Agbaji, Barrett, Dick and Quickley, the Raptors have a young core. By signing Olynyk to a contract extension, the team has a big veteran who can use his passing and floor-spacing abilities to unlock the potential of their younger players.

Where the decision gets tough is during the NBA draft and free agency. If the Raptors trade both first-round picks, will they prioritize more shooting around Barnes? The startup center of the future? Another bully? These choices depend on the match the franchise chooses.

Where does Trent fit in when it comes to free agency? Will the team be aggressive in signing Brown? Are there any veterans on the market that the team is aggressively pursuing?

Around the NBA, the Thunder and Magic are great examples of teams that rely on consistency around a young star to return to prominence. The plan is in place, but it's up to the Raptors to tailor it to their situation.