The Raptors front office got to work Tuesday morning on how to make the best of not having the No. 1 overall pick in the June 25-26 NBA Draft. The team's goal is to identify the best possible player that will be available when they pick ninth.

In 16 minutes or so, the dream was over. That's all the time it took for nine months of Toronto Raptors draft dreams to unravel.

The Thunder and Gilgeous-Alexander are trying to achieve their destiny and finish one of the best NBA seasons in history. Standing in their way are the battle-hardened Nuggets, with a perennial MVP candidate and a Canadian who is no stranger to big playoff moments.

The Lakers will have an urgency to build a roster that can compete this summer but change will be rippling across the rest of the NBA as well.

While the Raptors didn’t finish the 2024-25 season with a rookie-of-the-year candidate, they came out of what is looking like a rapid rebuild with the mythical 'rookies of the year' title.

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP frontrunner with his sights set on a championship. And if you saw this coming, your name must be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Next season, a lot could change — and should — if the Raptors are going to take the proverbial next step and compete for a playoff spot.