The year may have ended in disappointing fashion for the Toronto Raptors once again but they made huge progress in the regular season with an exciting young roster.
They finished with a franchise record 59 wins and secured the number one seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time.
Much of their success was largely due to having the best bench in the entire NBA.
The man seen as the leader of their second unit was point guard Fred VanVleet.
This was illustrated at the end of the campaign as he was named as a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
VanVleet was the spark off the bench for the Raptors and made a huge impact on both ends of the floor.
It'll come at a price
His breakout year means that he's likely to command a big contract this summer as he prepares to enter free agency.
The 24-year-old will be a restricted free agent which means Toronto will have the option to match any offer he may receive from another team.
But general manager Bobby Webster has made it clear that they are prepared to re-sign him at all costs.
"He's a huge priority. I don't want to get fined here and I'm a bit limited in what I can say, but we love Freddy and he knows that. He's our highest priority," Webster said, per TSN 1050.
Webster echoed the words of president Masai Ujiri who stated last week that he "loves" VanVleet and wants to retain him.
Loyalty
That feeling appears to be mutual as the player made it clear last month that he's willing to remain loyal to the franchise.
"I love it here. This is the place that gave me a chance, gave me an opportunity, whether it's the organisation, coaching staff. I'm a loyal guy, always have been," he said when the season ended.
The former Wichita State product was one of the success stories of the season in the NBA as he went from being undrafted to becoming a key member of the number one team in the east.
He was often on the court late in games alongside many of the starters and was a steady contributor with 8.6 points per game while hitting 41.4 percent from three-point and dishing out 3.2 assists.
Ultimately, the Raptors have to be mindful of their cap space when looking to bring back the young guard.
Toronto has $126 million committed to 11 players for next season and will be in danger of going over the luxury tax which will be set at $123m.
But Webster eased any concerns fans might have as he revealed that they have the backing of the team's hierarchy to spend whatever they feel is necessary to put together a contending roster.
"I'm not sure where that narrative came from but we've always had full support from ownership as far as spending into the luxury tax, so that's never been a directive from anyone," he said.
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