Currently sitting at seventh place in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors have started to find their way in recent weeks after a sluggish start to the 2021-22 NBA season. With championship head coach Nick Nurse continuing to find ways for the Raps to pull out wins and escape the bottom tier of the conference, things are once again looking up in the Great White North.
Especially now that they've gotten all their key rotation players back fully healthy. As they return to form and try to make their way to the upper echelon of the East, the Raptors still have some work to do and a few roster changes may be in the works for them. Let's now take a look at three players the Raptors must pursue at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
Raptors NBA Trade Deadline Targets
Jusuf Nurkic
As a sneaky good center who's been a pivotal part of the Trail Blazers success through the years, Jusuf Nurkic's time in the Pacific Northwest may soon be coming to an end. With Portland committing to building a winning team around franchise superstar Damian Lillard and the team looking to move in a different direction, parting ways with their longtime center could be a route they decide to go. On the Raptors Nurkic would fit right in and complete their starting five.
A starting line-up of Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Nurkic would definitely have the potential to make some noise this season and put them back into playoff contention. If the Raptors want to add a seasoned big man with a ton playoff experience, then Nurkic is definitely the man for the job.
He's one of the most complete two-way big men in the NBA and currently playing for a Houston Rockets squad that's not in a position to compete this season. Christian Wood has thrived as a combo big with a well-rounded offensive game and is effective playing an inside-out style of basketball.
With his limitless scoring range, he'd do wonders for Toronto in the pick-and-roll game and be able to provide them with a ton of rebounding, rim protection, and versatility in their frontcourt. Plus with Wood being just 26 years old, he'd definitely the mold of their youth movement and form a lethal frontcourt trio with Siakam and Anunoby. On the Raptors, Wood undoubtedly would bring an exciting new element to their blossoming young roster.
Now that his name has been in the rumor mill for quite some time, it may not be much longer before Jerami Grant finds himself on a new team. With the Raptors now playing more like a playoff team recently, Grant could definitely find himself in a good situation up north. His electric play on the wing mixed in with his athleticism, multi-faceted scoring, and stellar interior defense would be a plus for the Raptors and give them an exciting young core to build around.
On the flip side, a small-ball line-up of VanVleet, Trent Jr., Anunoby, Grant, and Siakam could transform them into a dark horse contender out East and elevate their play even further on both ends of the court. If the Raptors want to continue building for the future, then this is a move they should strongly consider ahead of the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
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