2015-16 Finish: 45-37 Season Highlight: A wild haymaker swing trade for Kobe Bryant payed off reasonably well. It wasn’t a home run but it was fruitful as the Black Mamba defied the odds, age and conventional wisdom and managed to stay reasonably healthy and productive. The Raptors sold out every home game and the team made the playoffs much to the delight of fans and management. Season Lowlight: They were kicked out of the playoffs like two lost nerds at a frat party. Despite Kobe’s somewhat faded greatness. The Raptors were bounced by the Celtics 4 games to 2. This was followed by a subsequent vanishing act by the GM – Juvenile who pretty faded into the sunset with a dimmed blink and not the bang he wanted. Best Trade: The Houston Rockets send Kobe Bryant, Donatas Motiejunas and Lavoy Allen to the Toronto Raptors. The Toronto Raptors send Thabo Sefolosha, Arron Afflalo and Enes Kanter to the Houston Rockets. This was a very high risk move for the Raps. Essentially all or nothing kind of deal where where the GM is going to go down in history as a unadulterated genius or a quacked out mad hatter that was in over his head. This trade landed somewhere in the middle as they didn’t quit make the finals but Kobe’s retirement has cleared up capspace for the team to retool on the fly and remain relevant. Worst Trade: The Denver Nuggets send Dwight Powell and Cristiano Felicio to the Sacramento Kings. The Sacramento Kings send Jerryd Bayless to the Toronto Raptors. The Toronto Raptors send Kent Bazemore to the Denver Nuggets. The Denver Nuggets send a 2nd-Rounder (Atl) and 2nd-Rounder (Den) to the Toronto Raptors. Giving up Bazemore for Bayless and scraps seems to be something of a headscratcher if you ask me. Best FA Signing: The Raptors primarily just retained their own FA’s last season with only a couple min salary guys rounding out the roster. Their biggest FA Enes Kanter was traded for soon to be Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant Worst FA Signing: Jason Smith was the loan FA that last the season and he only played 30 games at 9 mins per and averaged 1.8pts Star: Kobe Bryant The Kobster continued to shine despite being a bit broken down. He was abe toplay nearly 70 games and still chimed in with 27pts a game he will go down as one of the true legends of the game. Surprise: Deron Williams despite fading somewhat into obscurity in regards to name value was nearly as productive as Kobe. He also played nearly 70 games but started only 45 of them and still torched the baskets for nearly 24pts per. Goat: I really can’t say there was much of a Goat. The team above expectations as a hole and that generally takes contributions from not just the first man on the court but everyone down the line to the 13th man. Draft Report Card: The Raptors had a few draft picks and with the first one they were owed by Portland at #5 and selected All Around PG Kris Dunn. Kriss is a rarity in todays game where he pretty much played a full college career at Providence instead of the One and Done trend that is so common. But he is a gamer and has all-star potential. He will likely have the started PG position before the season reaches January. The remaining 3 picks were early and middle 2nd rounder who may or not get playing time depending on how well the Raptors free agency expedition goes. Looking to the Future: The Raptors are currently transitioning. They have some solid veterans that are capable of carrying the team through short stretches, along with a top 5 rookie and cap space to bring in at last one impact player. There is no reason why they can’t equal their record from last season and possibly improve on it. With a new GM at the reigns in Carl Spackler that already has experience and its safe bet that there will be some measuer of improvement. Upcoming Free Agents: Deron Williams is the Raptors loan Free Agent and he has already expressed interest in staying in Toronto and mentoring Dunn to be the PG of the future. | 
