There’s a team building ideology that SDPN has coined and I think perfectly applies to North American professional team sports. To keep a fanbase engaged, teams must sell one of two things through the roster moves they make: winning, or hope.
From 2015 to 2020, the Toronto Raptors sold winning. Regular season success, regularly having home court advantage in the playoffs, an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and eventually, an NBA Championship.
The 2020-21 Tampa season changed things, when instead of winning, the Raptors sold hope. The hope of returning to their rightful home at Scotiabank Arena, the hope of fans being able to return to watch their favourite team play, and the hope of landing a top draft pick to help the team moving forward.