The Toronto Raptors are one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Yet despite that, they also appear to be a team with a clear ceiling short of an Eastern Conference Finals berth.
Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are bona fide All-Stars and OG Anunoby is having his best season yet, but unless they soar up the standings soon, don't expect any of them to be shielded from trade rumors.
According to Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus, while the Raptors are still trending toward keeping their roster intact, teams around the league are “monitoring” their situation closely with the hopes of poaching some of their talent should they open up shop.
“The timeline of their players don't match,” one source told Pincus. “They have good players, but it will be interesting to see how they navigate with OG [Anunoby] and Fred [VanVleet].”
One added aspect is the fact that the Raptors are entering the window with Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby wherein they can fully maximize their trade value. Both players have one additional year left on their deal for next season, which makes them more attractive trade targets compared to an expiring asset.
“If the Raptors are to change direction, some around the league believe now would be the time, as players tend to draw less in return when they are on expiring contracts.”
With Scottie Barnes looking like the team's preferred foundational piece, a full-on restart is at least in Raptors GM Masai Ujiri's back pocket. How likely it is that he reaches for it is a different story.
Follow Us
Subscribe