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Closer to home — literally and figuratively — Raptors fans can watch Siakam and Anunoby compete as cornerstone pieces for the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks, respectively, as they meet in the opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night.

It’s hard not to think ‘what could have been.’

Instead the Raptors have won 25 and 30 games the past two seasons as part of a hasty rebuild that will be expected to bear fruit this coming season, given the club will have a projected starting lineup with a combined salary of $156.5 million — the salary cap is $154.6 million — and an average age of 27, which is ‘go time’ in NBA years.

How would a Raptors lineup featuring VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Barnes and Poeltl fare in an Eastern Conference that’s hardly a murderer’s row of contenders?

Well, the spacing would still be iffy, the depth questionable, and it would not be cheap, with the mystical starting five earning $152.2 million this year, jumping (theoretically) to $188.3 million next season when Barnes’ max deal kicks in.

But you’d have to think they would have been a factor.

Why it didn’t work and why it all ultimately unravelled in the space of 16 months is both well-known and as yet still unspoken.

The broad themes as I’ve reported previously: tension between VanVleet and Barnes, Anunoby chafing at his role in the offence, Siakam frustrated and ultimately dismayed that he wouldn’t get the contract he believed he deserved, a general hesitation to compromise for the larger project, and a head coach, Nick Nurse, who wasn’t comfortable tackling the various friction points head on. Meanwhile, the roster was woefully short of talent beyond the starting lineup as management went on an uncharacteristic cold streak when it came to backfilling the roster with young rotation players on cheap contracts.

VanVleet spoke to it last season after he had signed with Houston for $83.7 million guaranteed over two seasons, rejecting a Raptors offer that was reported to be three years at $90 million with a $10 million guarantee for a fourth year.

“You could feel the shift … I know the Raptors, we feel like we're the only team in the NBA (going through this), but it's not specific to that team. There's a lot of teams going through it where you're trying to win, you're trying to build, you got young guys, you got a couple of vets and you're just trying to figure it out,” VanVleet said in Houston to a small group of reporters from Toronto. “I think you could just kind of feel the dynamic shifting a little bit (last year; 2022-23). When things kind of went a little different than what we're used to in terms of our culture and just the day-to-day, that's when I was like, 'OK, I know Masai (Ujiri) is not going to deal with this forever.' That's when you kind of knew things were going to change eventually.”

The Raptors weren’t oblivious to the talent they had. According to multiple sources, there were several efforts to find ways to keep the core group together.

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

VanVleet and Siakam turned down extensions before the season started, and the Raptors knew that Anunoby would test free agency in the summer of 2024 since his performance exceeded the market value of the most the Raptors could offer him under league rules.

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

ForeverTFC wrote:This is telling. We'll never know the extent to which that locker room was broken. But man, it sounds rough. Also lol at Precious being there.

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

MiamiSPX wrote:

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

What I want to know most of all, is why the hell was Precious there lol? Did they need him to take the meeting minutes?

Thanks for sharing. My take on it is that Grange, like a lot of posters here, can't let go of that title winning team and its players. And I don't mean that disparagingly. I get it, our teams never win anything. In fact, there are posters on here who have only ever been alive for the Raps title and not the Jays. So I do get it. But it's time to move on already. Financially it wouldn't have worked anyway. This CBA is too restrictive.

ATLTimekeeper wrote:

ForeverTFC wrote:This is telling. We'll never know the extent to which that locker room was broken. But man, it sounds rough. Also lol at Precious being there.

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

Who made the note? They ran it back and did nothing until Fred forced their hand.

MiamiSPX wrote:

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

What I want to know most of all, is why the hell was Precious there lol? Did they need him to take the meeting minutes?

Thanks for sharing. My take on it is that Grange, like a lot of posters here, can't let go of that title winning team and its players. And I don't mean that disparagingly. I get it, our teams never win anything. In fact, there are posters on here who have only ever been alive for the Raps title and not the Jays. So I do get it. But it's time to move on already. Financially it wouldn't have worked anyway. This CBA is too restrictive.

MiamiSPX wrote:

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

What I want to know most of all, is why the hell was Precious there lol? Did they need him to take the meeting minutes?

Thanks for sharing. My take on it is that Grange, like a lot of posters here, can't let go of that title winning team and its players. And I don't mean that disparagingly. I get it, our teams never win anything. In fact, there are posters on here who have only ever been alive for the Raps title and not the Jays. So I do get it. But it's time to move on already. Financially it wouldn't have worked anyway. This CBA is too restrictive.

OakleyDokely wrote:

MiamiSPX wrote:

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

What I want to know most of all, is why the hell was Precious there lol? Did they need him to take the meeting minutes?

Thanks for sharing. My take on it is that Grange, like a lot of posters here, can't let go of that title winning team and its players. And I don't mean that disparagingly. I get it, our teams never win anything. In fact, there are posters on here who have only ever been alive for the Raps title and not the Jays. So I do get it. But it's time to move on already. Financially it wouldn't have worked anyway. This CBA is too restrictive.

OG, VV and Siakam collectively made 120M this year. All of them are either 1st or 2nd on their current team in salary.

Fairview4Life wrote:

MiamiSPX wrote:

There was a meeting in Miami in the summer of 2022 where Barnes, Siakam, VanVleet, Anunoby and Achiuwa sat down with each other and Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster in an effort to gauge how tenable it would be to push forward with the group, but a commitment wasn’t forthcoming. That the players all went their separate ways into the Miami night was noted.

What I want to know most of all, is why the hell was Precious there lol? Did they need him to take the meeting minutes?

Thanks for sharing. My take on it is that Grange, like a lot of posters here, can't let go of that title winning team and its players. And I don't mean that disparagingly. I get it, our teams never win anything. In fact, there are posters on here who have only ever been alive for the Raps title and not the Jays. So I do get it. But it's time to move on already. Financially it wouldn't have worked anyway. This CBA is too restrictive.

Didn't Grange argue previously that this road we are on, with the 25 and 30 wins, is the one the team needed to take? Am I misremembering?

Scase wrote:

ATLTimekeeper wrote:

ForeverTFC wrote:This is telling. We'll never know the extent to which that locker room was broken. But man, it sounds rough. Also lol at Precious being there.

Who made the note? They ran it back and did nothing until Fred forced their hand.

Right? So they recognized an obvious issue, and then proceeded to trade for Jak and double down on this mess? Just more evidence that Masai hung onto these players longer than he should have.

sidsid wrote:Nothing really new here, but I'll jump right back into my priors.

Seems if you just remove Fred from that equation early like we should have done and you fix the main issues.

- Barnes chemistry solved
- OG role for the future solved
- Siakam salary...well we didn't pay him anyway after Fred left but possibly some burnt bridges before then

Strip it down (no Trent trade, just picks) and rebuild/tank a year around that and who knows where you are in 3 years after that fateful offseason.

MiamiSPX wrote:

OakleyDokely wrote:

MiamiSPX wrote:
What I want to know most of all, is why the hell was Precious there lol? Did they need him to take the meeting minutes?

Thanks for sharing. My take on it is that Grange, like a lot of posters here, can't let go of that title winning team and its players. And I don't mean that disparagingly. I get it, our teams never win anything. In fact, there are posters on here who have only ever been alive for the Raps title and not the Jays. So I do get it. But it's time to move on already. Financially it wouldn't have worked anyway. This CBA is too restrictive.

OG, VV and Siakam collectively made 120M this year. All of them are either 1st or 2nd on their current team in salary.

Even if FVV took the 30M annually, it wouldn't have worked. Siakam, OG and Barnes are still getting the max, nothing changes there. So now you are in tax hell and still no bonafide top dog and no bench.

Rather than lamenting on what-could-have-been, my view is that this only reflects well on our organization. All of them were drafted/UDFA'd and developed by us (and we also tried telling anyone that would listen how good they were).