Before the offseason, Raptors coach shares the team’s top priorities.

We need skill for the Toronto Raptors.

Honestly, the most crucial thing Toronto will accomplish this summer is to add quality players. No position needs to be filled in particular, and no area needs to take precedence over bringing in the greatest player available. That’s okay if it means Jakob Poeltl’s situation becomes a little off when a center is added in the draft. It’s also OK if a player shares some of Scottie Barnes’ skill set but is still a promising potential.

Always add talent.

“Every team needs the same thing: it needs great players,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said Tuesday. “That’s where I’m really excited (about) that flexibility that you were talking about and potential draft picks and all of that. Bobby and Masai are the best in the business and they do a really good job of evaluating the talent and putting the team together so I have absolute trust in in them that they’re going to build the best roster possible for us.”

Toronto could have as many as three picks in the top 31 selections if the draft lottery works out for the Raptors. That’s in addition to some offseason options that could create nearly $30 million in salary cap space should Toronto opt to part ways with Bruce Brown and Gary Trent Jr.

But putting talent aside for a moment, there are some areas that the Raptors should probably look to improve.

Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Gradey Dick are all offense-first kind of players. None are particularly undersized for their positions, but they don’t offer a ton of defensive versatility, and that certainly cost Toronto’s defense in the second half of the year.

Quickley, Barrett, and Barnes look like a really big starting lineup if Toronto can play the trio at the point guard, shooting guard, and small forward positions. That trio is a little less daunting if there’s another relatively small guard bumping Barrett and Barnes into the small forward and power forward spots.

So what does Toronto need?

“It’s size, it’s skill, it’s ability to cover multiple positions,” Rajaković said. “It’s potentially a backup point guard.”

Barnes can be Toronto’s de facto backup point guard when Quickley goes to the bench, but it wouldn’t hurt to have another steady pair of hands to run the offense. For now, Javon Freeman-Liberty is sort of the only point guard behind Quickley and he’s not really a typical point guard and has no guarantee to be on the regular season roster next year.

Fortunately for Toronto, there are options.

This year’s class includes a number of really intriguing centers, a ton of dynamic guards, and plenty of flexible wings; it may not be a star-studded draft. While none of them have the same potential as Victor Wembanyama had the previous season, the 2024 draft will undoubtedly produce a number of all-stars in addition to a plethora of role players.

Finding those guys is crucial, as is making sure Toronto selects the best player available when openings arise. For now, it’s about acquiring skill and working the rest out afterward; fit will matter later.