Another solid regular season, another early playoff exit for the Toronto Raptors. A team that has had hopes for a deep playoff run and championship aspirations as well, the Raptors have faltered far too many times and it looks like they're finally ready to put that behind them.
Over the last couple of weeks, reports have surfaced out of Toronto that Canada's sole NBA team is ready to shake things up and try to contend for an NBA Championship with a potentially new look team. No one is untouchable, including stars like Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who have struggled to get things done in the playoffs over the last couple of years.
According got Josh Lewenberg of TSN, the Raptors are also looking into the trade value of young guard Norman Powell, who fell out of the rotation last season due to the overwhelming depth of the Raptors.
After signing a four-year, $42-million extension in the fall, Powell turned in a disappointing third NBA season, losing his starting job in November and then falling out of the rotation altogether.
Although they believe he can bounce back, the team’s depth has made Powell expendable. If they’re going to move him, this might be the best time to do it.
The athletic guard out of UCLA averaged 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in his second season, but regressed a bit as he shot worse in his third season, which relegated him to just 15 minutes per game. While a bounce back season could certainly be on the horizon, the Raptors could just opt to move him now in a move that could benefit both parties.
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