It's finally happening. After frustratingly trying to toe the line between a rebuild and competing for the playoffs, the Toronto Raptors are sticking to a rebuild now. The rebuild started in the offseason after offloading Fred VanVleet. Now, after the departures of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, the rebuild is all but complete.

Does that mean that the Raptors' trade deadline is over? No, not quite yet. While the bulk of the juicy trade pieces have been dealt, there's still a lot of moves that Toronto could do. Now that their focus is clearly rebuilding, they'll need to replenish their war chest of picks and young players.

The NBA trade deadline is in a few weeks. That's not a lot of time, but which moves can make the Raptors make to turn their so-so trade deadline into the perfect dream scenario?

Raptors' season recap

Truth be told, the Raptors have already achieved the dream trade deadline for them. Ever since the 2020-21 Tampa season, the Raptors have felt… rudderless, without a sense of direction on where to go. They still had their core players from the championship team, but it was becoming painfully clear that the team was not on that same level anymore. Maybe a year ago they still had the chops, but that was in the past.

Still, the Raptors seemed to cling onto that hope that they can be better. Perhaps it was just blind perseverance. Or perhaps it was an unwillingness to return to the Toronto teams of old. Regardless, Masai Ujiri and Co. ran the team as if it was a playoff contender. With Scottie Barnes entering the fold, Toronto tried to juggle a rebuild and playoff contention.

It just didn't work. The Raptors were not good enough to be dangerous in the playoffs, but they were also not weak enough to get top draft picks. As a result, they got stuck in the worst place possible for an NBA team: purgatory.

That all changed in the 2023 offseason. First, they let Fred VanVleet go in free agency instead of signing him to a new deal. That seemed to signify a change in mentality, one that was further confirmed when they let Nick Nurse go in favor of Darko Rajakovic.

Now, the Raptors have fully embraced the rebuild. First, they officially ended the OG Anunoby trade rumors by trading him to the New York Knicks for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, two young elite prospects. Then, the final cannon was shot: Pascal Siakam was dealt to the Indiana Pacers for more picks and Bruce Brown. That signaled the start of their long journey.

Raptors' dream scenario: Blockbuster trade for Gary Trent Jr/Bruce Brown

What's left for the Raptors is to acquire more trade assets and young players for their rebuild. This season will be more about the development of their young stars.

Barrett, Barnes, Quickley, and Gradey Dick are the players most likely to be evaluated this year. The rest of the roster, though, is open to be traded.

Of course, the Raptors do need to be mindful about what they get for the rest of their players. The best players that will likely fetch a decent price in the market are Gary Trent Jr and Bruce Brown. The two guards are total opposites: Trent Jr is a flamethrower, while Brown is a defensive specialist.

Regardless, their talents will be valuable to any contending team. There are other notable veterans that could be valuable (Jakob Poeltl is an intriguing option, though his trade status is really not known)

Does this mean that the Raptors can fetch a high price for either player? Of course not. Both players aren't world-beaters.

Trent Jr is an elite shooter and a walking bucket, but he tends to be a black hole on offense with his lack of playmaking. On the other hand, Brown, who has championship experience, brings a tenacious type of defense to any team, but his offensive game can be rather hit-or-miss. They're valuable role players, but that's really the cap for their price.

The absolute dream for the Raptors is if they're able to get a ton of value out of Trent Jr or Brown. If the right offer doesn't come along, that's totally fine. Trent Jr might even be a foundational piece as a veteran, given his skills.

However, if some desperate team comes calling with a too-good-to-be-true offer… then Christmas would come pretty damn early for Toronto. We'll see if Toronto's dreams come true come the trade deadline.