Raptors give core a vote of confidence, three-year window There were several different directions Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors had studied going into free agency - varying from a full-on rebuild to the franchise's first ever dip into the luxury tax - and they were prepared to go down any of them, or at least that's what they insisted, even at the negotiating table.

Josh Lewenberg TSN Raptors Reporter Follow|Archive

There were several different directions Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors had studied going into free agency - varying from a full-on rebuild to the franchise's first ever dip into the luxury tax - and they were prepared to go down any of them, or at least that's what they insisted, even at the negotiating table.

Their preference was clear. It had been for some time. They knew this would be a defining summer for the organization and, after reaping the benefits of the most successful four-year run in team history, the last thing they wanted to do was take a meaningful step back.

Coming off a sobering second-round sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers and with four key - albeit aging - free agents, it was an imperfect scenario, to be sure. There were no easy decisions to be made. Taking a jackhammer to a roster that had just won 50 games in consecutive seasons would be a long and painful process without any guarantees of getting back to that height. Going all-in would require a major financial commitment to a team with a limited ceiling in today's NBA landscape and players approaching downward trajectories in their careers. Navigating the middle ground - no man's land - is never an appealing option.

They were at a crossroads, but the path of least resistance was the one straight ahead of them. They wanted to continue winning, to maintain relevance in an increasingly vulnerable Eastern Conference and to take a few more shots at LeBron James and the Cavaliers - or perhaps be in a position to capitalize should he head West in the summer of 2018 - but not at any cost.

Although there are still plenty of questions to be answered, and plenty of off-season left to answer them, the Raptors appear to have settled on a path, and it's a slight variation of the one that's gotten them to this point.

On Sunday, the second day of free agency, they locked up two of their own, agreeing to terms with Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, who will both sign new contracts to remain in Toronto once the moratorium is lifted at noon eastern time this coming Thursday. Ibaka's deal will pay him $65 million over the next three years, according to ESPN, while Lowry will earn a reported $100 million over that same three-year span.

"When I had to make my free-agency decision, there was a lot going through my head, a lot of roads my mind was traveling down," Lowry wrote, announcing his decision on The Players' Tribune. "Family, first and foremost, and what's going to make them happy, and give them the best life. Basketball, of course, and where I'd like to play for these next several years. And then there was also the gut-check aspect - just what I was feeling in my heart."

"But for me, at the end of the day, this was an easy decision. And all of those roads... they all led me back to the same place: home. They all led me back to Toronto."

Lowry had hoped to take advantage of a bigger, more competitive point guard market, which - for a number of reasons - never materialized. Philadelphia traded for the first-overall pick and drafted Markelle Fultz, opting to save the rest of their cash and maintain cap flexibility. Houston acquired Chris Paul and, even after the trade, the Clippers were capped out and waiting on Blake Griffin. Utah scooped up Ricky Rubio, Minnesota preferred Jeff Teague as his replacement and San Antonio brought back Patty Mills. One by one you could cross his potential suitors off the list.

Toronto was fortunate in that sense. Whether Lowry truly considered jumping ship - as some reported last month - or not, he wasn't exactly flush with options. He had been looking forward to the prom for months, years even. He bought an expensive new suit, got his hair done and then, when the day finally arrived, he couldn't find a dance partner.

Such is life in the NBA. Like in any other business, it comes down to supply and demand. Lowry and P.J. Tucker are in roughly the same stage of their careers, one (Lowry) is clearly the better player, but when push came to shove more teams needed what Tucker brings, at the price in which he was available. You win some, you lose some.

The Raptors wanted all three back - Lowry, Tucker and Ibaka - but their deal-breaker was term, ultimately willing to pay more for fewer years of commitment. Tucker was in high demand and chose Houston, who gave him the fourth year that Toronto wouldn't (while also offering no state tax on what figures to be a better team and a chance to play with a couple of his close friends, Chris Paul and Trevor Ariza).

Lowry's deal was a fair compromise and one both he and the Raps can feel good about. An All-Star in each of the last three seasons, Lowry's been the most important player on some of the best teams in franchise history, and probably a top-15 player in the league over that stretch. Earning a salary that reflected that was important to him, especially after playing those three years on a team-friendly contract that paid him $12 million annually. Now he'll make $33.3 million. He gets the money he's worth and - at 31 with something of an injury history - Toronto only has to give it to him for the years he's most likely to be worth it.

Both Lowry and Ibaka will hit the market again in the summer of 2020, at the same time as DeMar DeRozan can opt out of his contract, giving the team's core a three-year window to - as Lowry wrote in his piece - finish what they started.

Change is coming one way or another. With a current payroll expected to rival the most expensive in league history, subsequent salary clearing moves are inevitable. The Raptors continue to try and find takers for Cory Joseph, Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll - with the latter likely costing them a draft pick, the former likely netting them a pick and the market for Valanciunas still unclear.

Understandably, it's hard for some fans to muster much excitement for a group that fell short of expectations just a few months ago, especially given the reality that they - like 27 other teams - are staring up at two seemingly immoveable objects in the Cavaliers and Warriors.

It's worth remembering that things are rarely linear in sports. Just because they were trending upwards in 2015-16 - a record 56-win season and their first Conference Finals berth - didn't necessarily mean they were going to top it last year, like last year's disappointing ending doesn't necessarily mean they're trending downwards now. Timing is important and so is context.

Only two teams lost more man games to injury than the Raptors last season. Lowry missed a third of the campaign, was only six weeks removed from wrist surgery when the playoffs began and then was forced out of the Cavs series after turning his ankle. He and Ibaka had just three games of experience together going into the post-season.

They never intended Ibaka to be a three-month rental. When they traded for him and his expiring contract ahead of the deadline - and just before Lowry's injury - they had a pretty good idea they would be able to retain him. They wouldn't have otherwise. He's the type of versatile, low-maintenance modern day big man they had been chasing for years, the ideal compliment to their star backcourt.

They are by no means blind to the hierarchy in the East - it's Cleveland then everybody else. Barring injury or a James relocation that isn't likely to change anytime soon. Still, the Raptors believe that with a healthy Lowry and a full season of Ibaka they are among the best of the rest, capable of putting up more of a fight than they showed in that sweep. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong but either way, they feel taking another few kicks at the can is better than the alternative.

For a franchise that's spent most of its two decade-long history toiling in obscurity, struggling to garner respect around the league and attention in its own city - until very recently - there's value in building, and in this case extending, sustainable success. On top of that, the East appears as vulnerable as ever. Two All-Stars (Jimmy Butler and Paul George) have already migrated West and a third (Paul Millsap) may soon be joining them, leaving three playoff teams (Chicago, Indiana and Atlanta) looking destined for the lottery. While these teams may not have posed an immediate threat to those at the top of the Conference, if nothing else, losing their best players to the West - instead of to Boston or Cleveland - is a win for the Raptors. As for the Cavs, if there's even a slight chance that James could leave in free agency next year - as some in the know believe there is - than it's worth staying relevant.

The goal over the next three years, as its been in the past few: remain competitive while, at the same time, developing the next wave of talent, which could help ensure a smooth transition when they do eventually switch gears.