The Toronto Raptors are in a similar spot as last season, mired in mediocrity while trade rumors heat up around some of their best players. The Raptors are just 12-18 on the season and sit outside the play-in tournament picture, leading to familiar calls to blow up the roster.
However, one difference this season is youngster Scottie Barnes has legitimately made a leap and looks like a star in the making. That hasn't resulted in wins, but the Raptors are now convinced they have a franchise cornerstone who can lead the team to great success in the future. Given that, Toronto's front office has “no appetite for a reset, teardown or rebuild,” according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange.
Will Raptors make any trades?
The Raptors didn't trade any core pieces last season and instead brought back Jakob Poeltl, only to lose in the play-in tournament before Fred VanVleet walked out the door. Would they really do something like that again despite players like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. all being targeted for free agency?
The trade winds are swirling around Siakam and Anunoby once again, but Toronto is again asking for a ransom. Trading one or both of these players doesn't necessarily mean the team is fully rebuilding, though based on Ujiri's track record he may see it that way. At the very least, it seems as if the Raptors would like to keep Anunoby around and pair him with Barnes for the long haul.
Siakam is still eligible for a contract extension this season, but there's no sign of one coming. He has said in the past he would like to stay in Toronto, but at some point this team has to try something different. Moving Siakam for a haul and reshaping the roster around Barnes and Anunoby would make some sense. An upgrade at point guard would also be useful.
Whatever the case, don't expect the Raptors to just totally blow this thing up. They love Scottie Barnes and are ready to build around him. What that looks like remains to be seen.
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