New year, new me was for sure something the Toronto Raptors had in mind when they sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks for a package headlined by RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Although the biggest names in this trade will be Anunoby and Barrett, Quickley has the biggest upside of any players involved.
Quickley was in dire need of a more fleshed-out point-guard role, and with the Raptors looking for a permanent option next to Scottie Barnes, the fit between IQ and his new team is almost perfect. Toronto might have found their point guard of the future as they continue to retool around the nucleus of Quickley, Barrett and Barnes. So regarding existing veterans on the roster like Dennis Schroder, a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers should strongly consider picking up the phone and making a deal with their Eastern Conference rival.
Why Cavs should go after Dennis Schroder trade
Considering Schroder is 30 and the Raptors appear to be taking a step back to retool, it might be best for Toronto to make a deal with Cleveland. Although he was recently moved to the bench to allow more opportunities for Barnes to play point guard, Schroder is having a solid season with the Raptors.
The German guard is averaging 14.6 points, 7.0 assists and a steal in 32.2 minutes per game in 32 games for Toronto. He also won the FIBA World Cup MVP award after leading Germany to the title over the summer.
The Cavs, who have been leaning on undrafted rookie Craig Porter Jr. with Darius Garland sidelined and Ricky Rubio out of the country, could use what Schroder provides. Sure, Porter has stepped up as Cleveland's lead guard and looked more than comfortable doing so. But injuries happen to everyone, and considering Rubio isn't around, unable to provide depth and wasting a roster spot, the Cavs need to find an alternative, like Schroder.
A hypothetical trade that could be doable for Cleveland and Toronto would have the Cavs sending Rubio, Damian Jones, and a second-round pick to the Raptors for Schroder. This two-for-one swap works ideally for Cleveland, giving them an extra roster spot to sign Porter to a long-term deal and allowing the Cavs to jettison two players who aren't a factor when the team is fully healthy. More importantly, it gives Cleveland something they've never truly had in Garland's entire NBA career: an elite backup point guard who can run the offense and keep the Cavs from running Garland into the ground.
Toronto gets a backup big man in Jones, something they need, and a second-round pick for their troubles. It also is a good-faith move to Schroder, who could see a reduction in playing time after the acquisitions of Quickley and Barrett. Cleveland is also a team that can contend when healthy, so this would give Schroder a chance to play more meaningful basketball. It's rare that trades that make sense for everyone ever manifest, but considering the needs of the Cavs and Raptors, it makes almost too much sense.
There's still plenty of time until the annual trade deadline on Feb. 8. But with Toronto reportedly still looking to shake up their roster, a trade like this could come sooner rather than later.
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