Ten Best Trades in Toronto Raptors History
By Go Paolo
The Raptors have made countless trades, but only a few stand out as deals that not only improved the team but positively impacted the direction of the franchise. Here are the ten best Raptors trades in franchise history.
Throughout their 23-year history, the Raptors have seen their fair share of ups and downs particularly when it comes to trades.
Who can ever forget the day the infamous Rob Babcock traded away Vince Carter, the franchise’s all-time greatest player, for change and a bag of ketchup chips? Or each time the Raptors traded for a shopworn big man like Hakeem Olajuwon and Jermaine O’Neal?
These may be some of the franchise’s worst trades. But the good news is, Toronto has usually been on the winning side of the trade market.
Whether it was Glen Grunwald, Bryan Colangelo, or Masai Ujiri, the Raptors’ bosses were not shy when it came to swapping players. And each of these GM’s pulled something that off that greatly benefitted the team.
While plenty of their success has come thanks to the draft, the Raptors owe it to their general managers for their nifty trading as part of the success they experience today.
Disclaimer: Masai’s most recent trade (Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a first-round pick) is worthy of mention. However, the effects of this trade are yet to be experienced as of the publication of this article. But on paper, it is one of the top-three best Raptors trades.