Contrary to popular expectations, the Toronto Raptors stood pat at the trade deadline. Names such as OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet were popular trade candidates all week long, but no deal materialized for either player. That's not to say that teams tried their best to pry away these players from Toronto, though. Both the Memphis Grizzlies and the Indiana Pacers reportedly offered three first-round picks for the Raptors forward, per Zach Lowe's sources.
“They offered three first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby, sources said, but Anunoby remains a Raptor. The Indiana Pacers also offered three first-round picks for Anunoby, sources said, but could not get a deal done.”
OG Anunoby was one of the hottest names in the trade market during the deadline, and for good reason. The Raptors forward is one of the best defenders in the league. His trade value supposedly shot up when Kevin Durant was traded back to the Western Conference. Ultimately, though, Masai Ujiri was not moved enough by these trade packages.
Perhaps the reason was due to the lack of players that the Raptors actually wanted. All signs seems to point to Toronto looking to retool this year instead of going through a complete rebuild. A package of three first-round picks is enticing to a rebuilding team, but Ujiri wants a young player that he can develop while contributing to a potential playoff team. In the end, none of the teams that talked to the Raptors offered their young players in return.
The Raptors' biggest move at the trade deadline was trading for former Raptor Jakob Poeltl. Will that move be enough to put them squarely back in playoff contention?
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