It appears that removing Coach of the Year nominee Dwayne Casey from the equation was only the first move for the Toronto Raptors in the imminent reboot of the team. News has now surfaced that the front office is reportedly looking into the possibility of trading either DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry.
According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the team values the importance of both DeRozan and Lowry, but the possibility of moving either one of them is not out of the question. The report also mentions that Massai Ujiri, the current president of the Raptors, may also opt to ship out big man Jonas Valanciunas:
“DeRozan, Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas will likely garner the most interest on the market, though Ujiri could look to cut salary in the form of top disappointment Serge Ibaka or Norman Powell, who is about to see his salary take a leap as his extension kicks in.”
The one-two punch of DeRozan and Lowry have been the bread and butter of the Raptors for the past few years. Although their on-court success is undeniable, the farthest they have gone in the Playoffs was in 2015-16 season in which they lost the Eastern Conference finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After a stellar season this year, the Raptors were unceremoniously sent home packing by the Cavs yet again in the first round of the Playoffs. This has prompted the front office to reexamine its long-term strategic plan and it appears that this evaluation has led to the conclusion that at the moment, nobody on the team is untouchable.
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