The Raptors are coming off a 48-win regular season that was perhaps better than they expected and included improvement up and down the roster.
They have a core group that vice-chairman Masai Ujiri is unequivocally impressed with and one that he very publicly wants to keep intact. It includes the NBA rookie of the year, young veterans approaching what could be the prime of their careers and a couple of promising youngsters whose long-term potential is great.
And somehow there’s a legitimacy to chatter about them investigating some franchise-altering trade centred on Utah’s Rudy Gobert.