Trade proposal: Taj Gibson for Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez

By Kevin Nimmock | Jun 7, 2015

The Toronto Raptors own the 20th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. In the context of this year’s draft class, that pick will get the team some legitimate value. Unfortunately, after being blown out by the Washington Wizards in the first round of the playoffs, the Toronto Raptors have far more roster problems to address than what they will get out of the draft.

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Many people recently have called for the team to attempt to trade a package including a few current players and the 20th overall pick for established players who can fill the Raptors’ voids. I am not entirely against this idea, but I would prefer to protect the draft pick in the name of adding youth to the roster, if possible.

The fact is that the Raptors have holes that need to be plugged and GM Masai Ujiri has already said that he is going to be bold while trying to repair the roster. My guess is that he will leave the three player nucleus intact. So, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas will probably stay.

To get to the next level, the Raptors need an upgrade at power forward. The team needs a player who can rebound confidently, score in the paint, and add some much needed toughness defensively. The Raptors need a legit starter, especially considering Amir Johnson is likely leaving for other pastures this summer.

I propose that the Raptors trade Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez for Taj Gibson of the Chicago Bulls. The trade would work, according to the NBA Trade Machine . This deal would be mutually beneficial for both teams, rather than a classic Ujiri trick trade, where another squad is saddled with the bad end of a good deal.

In Taj Gibson, the Raptors would get a player who compliments Patrick Patterson and offers what he cannot provide. Gibson does not stretch the floor, but he rebounds well and plays very hard on the defensive end. Gibson would take some pressure off of Valanciunas down low as the young centre continues to develop into an NBA star.

Gibson averaged 13.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per 36 minutes this season. He was effective all over the court, providing high-energy minutes off of the bench. He is ready to become a day-to-day starter for an NBA team.

Ross still offers a ton of potential for a team that can successfully develop him. The Raptors may simply not be up to the task. He has shown streaks of greatness offensively and defensively, which should endear him to any NBA team. At the very least, he will probably become a pretty decent 3-and-D contributor somewhere in the league.

Greivis Vasquez is the real kicker in the deal. He has shown the ability to play quality minutes, both as a starter and a bench player. Unfortunately, his style of play just doesn’t fit with what the Raptors need. He is a strong offensive presence, who struggles on defence. The Raptors need better defenders right now. But, you know who often needs offensive help when Derrick Rose goes down? The Bulls.

Since the Raptors wouldn’t lose the 20th pick, they could select a point guard to replace Vasquez off the bench, and all would be good. There is plenty of PG talent in the draft.

Overall, this deal could be the solution to one of the team’s problems. There are others, but this could be a start. What do you think, Raptors fans?

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