Raptors now able to negotiate new contracts with five players

The Toronto Raptors are open for business.

While we can’t officially confirm exactly what the front office is doing, the day after the conclusion of the NBA Finals allows the Raptors a window to start talking to five key players, with the decision for a sixth likely around the corner.

Toronto has three pending unrestricted free agents, Gary Trent Jr., Garrett Temple, and Jordan Nwora, as well as a restricted free agent, Immanuel Quickley.

Additionally, Toronto has just under two weeks to make a decision on Bruce Brown Jr., who has a player option for next season.

“I think we’re going to continue to assess that as we go,” Ujiri said at his end-of-season media availability back in April of Brown’s future in Toronto. “I think we had really good [exit] meetings with Bruce and Gary [Trent Jr].”

Lastly, Toronto is able to start negotiating on their next contract with Scottie Barnes, who made his first All-Star game this past season and has one year left on his current deal.

For all the players (sans Brown), the negotiations can kick off today, but they won’t be officially announced until later in July.

For Quickley, it seems likely he’ll be back, given his recent comments, unless there’s a major offer luring him away from the team after being traded from the New York Knicks last season.

“Absolutely love Toronto. Since the day I got here, they’ve done nothing but show me love,” Quickley said at his own end-of-season press conference when asked about the possibility of extending in the city. “Love is an action word, it’s not just something you throw around. They’ve done that from the day I got here to today.”

It’s still a bit of a waiting game before any more contract details officially leak out over the next few weeks, but we’re a lot closer to the madness of the NBA offseason than when the Raptors played their final game of the year way back in April.

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