3 Under the Radar Trades the Toronto Raptors could make

Trade #3: Make a Splash for a Win Now Player

This last trade is the most difficult to pull off especially considering the Pacers have been playing very well to start the season. However with Victor Oladipo‘s contract set to expire and him not expressing a desire to re-sign, the Pacers might be inclined to acquire something for him rather than lose him for nothing. In this trade, the Raptors would get Victor Oladipo from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Norman Powell, Terence Davis, Patrick McCaw, and a 2023 first-round pick.

For the Raptors, this trade is a win-now move to get a player like Oladipo to help bolster their star talent. Oladipo has established himself as an All-Star caliber player on both ends of the floor.

Although he is coming off an injury that sidelined him for most of last season he can still be an effective player who can score efficiently and defend at an elite level. This season Oladipo is averaging 20 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 45% from deep.

Pairing Oladipo with the Raptors’ other star players could be exactly the type of move to help the Raptors close the gap between the other top teams in the eastern conference. This trade also frees up an additional $14 million in cap space next season which means the Raptors can resign Oladipo and Lowry if things go well.

This is also another benefit of trading for him now rather than waiting till free agency because the Raptors can determine how well will he fit with the team while not having to commit long term to him.  Although the Raptors do have to part ways with some depth, the pros of Oladipo being an elite star player far outweigh the cons.

For the Pacers as mentioned earlier, they would be receiving assets for a player who may end up leaving their team for nothing.

First of all, they are getting a quality player in Norman Powell who can be an effective starter or bench player for them who is cheaper and can bolster their depth. Second, the Pacers would also be getting a young player in Terence Davis who has shown great flashes and can be a good piece for the future. Finally, they get the veteran leadership of Pat McCaw and a first-round pick which is a pretty good return for a star player like Oladipo.

Another positive aspect of this trade for the Pacers is that Head Coach Nate Bjorkgren is a former Raptors assistant coach and is very familiar with these players and knows how to best utilize them. It allows the Pacers to truly build around their emerging young big in Domantas Sabonis now that Oladipo is gone.

Overall, this trade may be a long shot to happen, however, there are definitely positives for both teams to gain from this trade. More importantly, it can really help the Toronto Raptors recoup some much-needed star power moving forward.