The NBA trade market is about to open up with several free agents signed during the offseason set to become available come December 15th. The Toronto Raptors are a team that always seems to find themselves in trade rumors. They were in on the Damian Lillard sweepstakes. Now they're in the Zach LaVine marathon as well.
Nonetheless, Toronto is in a testy situation. They are middling between a team that could go all in on a teardown and start rebuilding around budding franchise star Scottie Barnes. Or they could acquire a game-changing talent and make a realistic push for the postseason this year and potentially continue building around Barnes, Pascal Siakam, and whoever other star the Raptors land in a blockbuster deal.
Nonetheless, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby have found themselves in trade rumors. Siakam has yet to sign a contract extension, which has only further intensified the trade chatter. Meanwhile, Anunoby could fit well within any scheme as one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA.
While those are the two sought-after players from Toronto, the player the Raptors should absolutely look to trade is Gary Trent Jr. Here is why.
Why the Raptors should trade Gary Trent Jr.
Gary Trent Jr. entered the 2023 offseason with an $18.6 million player option. There were rumblings that Trent would opt out and sign a multi-year extension, but he chose to stay in Toronto for one more season before potentially testing the free agency market next year.
Per Sportsnet, Trent and the Raptors were reportedly working towards a multi-year contract. But so far, no such deal has materialized and the 24-year-old remains headed for free agency next summer. With that said, there is a likelihood that Trent could leave Toronto and the Raptors could potentially lose the sharpshooter for nothing.
The Raptors have seen this movie before
The Raptors should know. This is what happened when they let Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet's expiring deals see the end of the season.
Lowry went to the Miami Heat during the summer of 2021. Though they did net Precious Achiuwa in a sign-and-trade deal, the Raptors could have gotten more had they dealt Lowry during the February trade deadline when teams like the Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in acquiring the veteran.
VanVleet, meanwhile, wound up signing a monstrous contract with the Houston Rockets, while Toronto could do nothing but watch him leave. The NBA champion was a hot commodity during the February trade deadline with several teams like the Lakers (again), Los Angeles Clippers, and Dallas Mavericks among others wanting in on Mr. Bet on Himself. The Raptors could have received at least a decent return if they moved VanVleet instead of letting his deal run out.
Shooting guard upgrade
In addition, another reason why the Raptors should trade Trent is because they need an upgrade at shooting guard. Trent has struggled to open the 2023-24 NBA season. After averaging at least 17 points per game in each of his last two seasons in Toronto, the second-generation guard is tallying just 11.5 points this 2023-24 campaign.
The Raptors don't seem keen to blow it up this season since they do not have their 2024 first round draft pick. With Trent struggling, they should push using his expiring contract to make an upgrade at shooting guard or even land a game-changer. As mentioned, the Raptors have entered the bid for Zach LaVine. Any potential LaVine deal could begin with Trent's expiring contract, while attaching future picks and other young players not named Scottie Barnes.
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