Toronto Raptors NBA Trade Deadline Grades 2017
By Mustafa Noor
The Raptors have been aggressive in obtaining players before the deadline. Our writer gives his grades for the trades.
There was pressure on Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri to be aggressive in the trade market. Kyle Lowry has an expiring contract and there are genuine questions about resigning him in the summer. This season realistically offers the best chance for the Raptors to reach their first NBA finals.
The Raptors roster before the deadline was flawed and unbalanced. They possessed too many guards and not enough bigs. It was clear to all that Jared Sullinger’s minutes weren’t helping the team. The number one priority for Masai was to acquire a power forward.
The Ibaka Trade
The Raptors traded Terrence Ross and the 2017 first round pick for Orlando Magic big man Serge Ibaka.
Positives: Ibaka is a true power forward who at his best is a defensive force. It was only a couple of years ago when he led the league in blocks. He has regressed somewhat defensively but is still a competent defender. Offensively, he is shooting a career high 39% from 3 point range. This is a huge plus for a Raptors team which needs more outside shooting
Negatives: Serge Ibaka will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. If he chooses to leaves the Raptors then Masai will have obtained an expensive rental. If he does choose to stay he will demand big money which will put the Raptors in the Luxury tax. This is assuming Lowry is resigned to a max deal as well in the summer.
Overall trade grade: B+
The Raptors obtained a competent power forward without mortgaging the house. If Masai was able to get assurances he will resign then this is a home run of a trade
P.J. Tucker Trade
We all spent the last hour of trade deadline day refreshing Woj’s twitter feed waiting to see if a mega trade would happen. He disappointed and just as I was closing twitter, this happens.
https://twitter.com/WojVerticalNBA/status/834856361821405184
The two second round pics to the Phoenix Suns are the 2017 and 2018 second round picks he later reported.
Positives: The Toronto Raptors are too nice of a team for their own good. To win in the playoffs you need payers who are willing to do whatever it takes to win. P.J. Tucker is a hardnosed defensive enforcer who weighs a sturdy 245 lbs. While he no longer started for the Phoenix Suns this year, he was a great contributor off the bench. He would be a great guy to come off the bench and play 20 energetic minutes. He gives you six rebounds a game but his true value will be his toughness.
Negatives: Tucker is averaging 7 points for the session and is shooting an unimpressive 33% from three-point range. He offers little to nothing on the offensive end. This means teams will be able to pack the paint against him as they do not respect his shooting.
Overall trade grade: A+
This was an excellent trade by Masai. He was able to pull this trade off without giving up a first round pick. The two second round picks are next to useless for the Raptors. Tucker bolsters the squad and will give the Raptors a tougher Identity
Raptors ready to compete for big prizes?
So there we have it, P.J Tucker and Ibaka have been added to the roster for the remainder of the season. Ujiri deserves praise for another excellent trade season. Both these moves improve the Raptors without significant costs.
The big question for the rest of the season will be: Is this team good enough to win the Eastern Conference? I believe that it puts them in a better situation to give the Cavaliers a run for their money.
What do you guys think of the deadline day activity? Are the Raptors the biggest threat to the Cavs now? Comment below and let me know what you think
All stats courtesy of Basketballreference.com