Toronto Raptors: Can C.J. Miles get back on track?

The Toronto Raptors have burst out of the gate. However, some individuals haven’t, including veteran swingman C.J. Miles. Is it time to consider a trade?

The Toronto Raptors are one of four NBA teams with one loss on their record. Despite our team’s sparkling 8-1 start, not everything is sweetness and light. The biggest source of concern for Yours Truly is the performance of the second unit.

If we drill down into that group, we quickly note a problem with veteran gunner C.J. Miles. He’s a 3-point shooting specialist who isn’t making his shots. The season is one-tenth over, and he’s connecting at a 29% success rate, by far the worst mark of his career. Not coincidentally, he’s on the floor the fewest minutes per game [PG] since he emerged as a player of quality in 2008-09.

The idea of moving the well-liked veteran isn’t pleasant, but as Masai Ujiri pointed out after he traded DeMar DeRozan, difficult decisions sometimes have to be made. And, No, it’s not too soon to be having this discussion. Part of a General Manager’s job is to get out in front of problems, rather than tackling them too late. [20-second timeout: The valuable site Hoops Rumors was the first place I noticed to place Miles on a trade-candidate watch.]

Miles has not been given a lot of floor time to work out whatever is plaguing his deep shot. Coach Nick Nurse has him averaging 14.2 minutes; C.J. is taking 3.4 bombs PG. Both those numbers are well off his marks of last season, his first in Toronto. So is his Net Rating of minus_16, compared to plus_1 in 2017-18.

Here’s one possibility for a new home

I’m not going to offer an official Trade Proposal here, simply because I would prefer C.J. to receive another dozen games to get straightened out. Regardless, we’re going to have a look for a trade partner. [20-second timeout: Loyal readers know I get exasperated with posts or comments to the tune of “Why don’t they just trade him?”, without suggesting to whom.] There are a number of teams who are already in the mood to Do Something! as their seasons are off to disappointing starts. The 1-7 (yikes!) Washington Wizards are the most prominent example, while the Cavaliers, Knicks, Pelicans and Jazz aren’t where they thought they would be. Can we stoke the trade fires with one of them?

A straightforward possibility is bringing Markieff Morris to Toronto from Washington. The money aspect works almost perfectly. Morris’s arrival would beef up our front court. He’s versatile enough to contribute both inside and out. The Raptors “win” 2 more games, while the Wiz “lose” a pair.

Morris has an expiring contract, while C.J.’s has one more year to run. Whether the Wiz want to take on another veteran when they may be more interested in rebuilding is difficult to say. I suspect the owner’s thoughts may trump those of the General Manager. If Ted Leonsis wants to stay competitive while making a trade for its own sake, I can envision this deal happening (perhaps with Masai throwing in a couple of 2021 or ’22 second-rounders). If Leonsis’s GM, Ernie Grunfeld, says “Tear it down”, it won’t.

Let’s stop for today. My hope is for C.J. to rediscover his deep stroke, which in turn helps his scoring chances when he puts the ball on the floor. If so, I won’t have to take up this topic again – and that would be dandy with me.