The Toronto Raptors have made several roster moves over the last few years, but what are the top five trades in franchise history?
Ah, trades. One of the great bastions of team-building in sports. Over the years, the Toronto Raptors have been able to build through trades and the draft. Since Masai Ujiri joined the team in 2013, the Raptors have had a penchant of turning late-round picks and undrafted free agents into key rotation players for one of the most consistent franchises of the last half-decade.
With the NBA currently on an indefinite hiatus, now is as good a time as ever to look back through the archives. There have been bad trades – think trading away Vince Carter for next to nothing – and there have been good trades. Here, we will attempt to dissect the best.
It hasn’t been easy. Recently, well, since Masai Ujiri has had a helping hand with the Toronto Raptors front office, the team has been in safe hands. The past half-decade has been the best in franchise history. The Raptors have reached the playoffs for the last six years and had already secured a spot in this season’s playoffs – whenever they may be.
To get to that point, the Raptors have gone through a litany of players. Draft picks, trades, free agent pick-ups, you name it. But it’s really the trades where Ujiri has really made his name, despite acquiring the likes of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Norman Powell through the draft.
Even before his arrival with the team, the Raptors still had a habit of making a good trade now and then. But what are the five best trades in Toronto Raptors history?