In this week’s episode, Hunter is joined by Lior Kozai to discuss the most recent Toronto Raptors news. Trade rumours, Kyle Lowry to the Hall of Fame and more!
One of the most exciting times for an NBA fan is about a month before the trade deadline. The rumours, the deals, and the opportunity for your favourite team to get better. Unsurprisingly, the Toronto Raptors have been put right in the middle of the rumour mill.
and
are the most recent players being linked to a potential Raptors trade. Hunter and Lior shared their thoughts on that at the beginning of this episode (1:10):
The Raptors had a huge trade deadline last year, making a move to get veteran player, Marc Gasol. Because of that, it feels like expectations for this year’s deadline are a little bit heightened.
That’s probably why the biggest names being thrown around trade rumours are connecting to Toronto.
While having the Raptors in the news is nice to see, trading for Drummond or Love just doesn’t make sense for them.
Yes, the Raptors have rebounding problems and, yes, Drummond is probably the best rebounder in the league. However, that’s not a compelling enough argument to make the case for a Drummond trade.
His defense is pretty garbage, and his offensive skills aren’t exactly what the Raptors need from a big man.
He also has a $28 million player option next season, which is way too much to pay for a guy like Drummond.
In terms of Kevin Love, he’s a little closer to what the Raptors would like from a big man. The glaring problem with Love, however, is the three years $90 million left on his contract. That money would hamper the Raptors’ ability to be a major player in the coveted 2021 free agency class.
It’s obvious I don’t think the Raptors should trade for one of these two big men, and probably shouldn’t at all. So what type of player should they go after?
Just like every other team in the NBA, a high-quality shooter would be ideal for the Raptors system. However, unlike other teams, the Raptors don’t exactly need the player to have much skill on the defensive end because of their elite defense. Hopefully making it a little easier to find someone to trade for without giving up anything crazy.
With all that being said. The Raptors have yet to play more than five games with a totally healthy lineup. And, for that reason, a Gasol like trade this season is less than likely.