Defending champions Toronto Raptors will also run this coming season.
Toronto had the best season last season, winning the first finals in club history. Kawhi Leonard, who moved from San Antonio Spurs, was a two-in-one team, Pascal SiaKam, Marc Gasol, who joined the season's last trade.
But this coming season, Toronto's prospects are not very bright. This is because Leonard, who led the final championship, left the team in one season. Leonard, who became a free agent this summer, moved to the Los Angeles Clippers with a three-year, $ 130 million contract.
Siakam, who showed remarkable growth last season, will be given a new ace status, but he is definitely behind Leonard in terms of presence. With Leonard leaving the team, some have said that they will trade retirement contractors such as Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. In fact, according to Shaun of Sporting News, several teams have reported that they have made a trade offer to Toronto.
But the Toronto team rejected all of the proposals and said they were not willing to rebuild for the time being. In a recent interview with NBC News, Toronto's president, Masai ujiri, expressed confidence in the coming season that "Leonard has left the team but we are still a strong team. We can win."
This summer, teams from the East, including Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, are looking for a strong season for Eastern hegemony in the free agent market. In the unlikely event of a new season, Toronto will be able to see if the defending champion can be proud.