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Raptors – 76ers trade talk may be heating up

By Martin Connolly

May 13, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) shoots the ball as Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson (0) looks on during the first quarter in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
May 13, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) shoots the ball as Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson (0) looks on during the first quarter in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Reports have surfaced regarding the Raptors interest in Philadelphia’s power forward, Nerlens Noel.

Despite holding two picks in the first round of last week’s draft, the Toronto Raptors still find themselves short at the power forward position as we head into free agency. General Manager Masai Ujiri was expected to address the team’s problems here with the #9 pick but instead opted for Jakob Poeltl. A center from Austria, who played his college basketball at Utah, Poeltl is expected to become a key player for the franchise further down the line but will not be a vital piece of a potential Championship team for the season ahead. Holding another pick at 27, Ujiri again chose not to draft a stretch-4 who would offer Toronto the spacing and shooting they desperately need in any big man paired alongside Jonas Valanciunas. Pascal Siakam was picked, and though scouts rave about his energy and impressive rebounding ability, he doesn’t offer the offensive attributes the Raptors are in need of as they aim to fill out their starting line-up.

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Jan 9, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo (8) rebounds the ball against Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Raptors won 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Toronto Raptors center Bismack Biyombo (8) rebounds the ball against Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Raptors won 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Zach Lowe from ESPN reported Wednesday that the Raptors have been in contact with their former general manager Bryan Colangelo in Philadelphia regarding Toronto’s interest in Nerlens Noel. Noel lacks the offensive tools that would benefit a Toronto team in need of more shooting, but the chasing of the former lottery pick may be an indication that free agent Bismack Biyombo won’t be returning to Canada after the next two weeks. Noel and Biyombo still need some work on the offensive end but defensively they are talented. According to nyloncalculus.com, which provides stats on the rim protectors of the league, the two held similar percentages in contesting and allowing field goals. Should Ujiri work out a deal which interests his counterpart at the 76ers, it would be pointed to as the clearest sign yet that Biyombo will not be back in Toronto.

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The question now is what sort of deal would it take to bring Noel to Toronto? Would a package of Terrence Ross, Lucas Nogueira and a future pick be enough to entice the 76ers into making the deal? Ross still has some potential, and with Philadelphia trying to reach the cap floor, his $10million contract would go some way to helping them achieve this. It’s unlikely that Toronto’s divisional rivals would hold an interest in Siakam or Poeltl considering Philadelphia’s interest in trading Noel lies in the wish to cut down on the number of frontcourt players they currently have on their roster.

What do you think Raptor fans? Would Noel be a good fit for Toronto or would you prefer someone else?

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