Nick Nurse, Masai Ujiri, and the Toronto Raptors have suddenly entered the “contenders” arena, as their impressive winning run following a dreadful 2-8 start has the front office looking for upgrades around the league. In such a competitive Eastern Conference, Toronto needs to do something to set itself apart from the rest of the contenders.
Unlike Nurse and the Raptors, not every team that stumbled out of the gate has been able to pick up the pace, firmly relegating them to the “sellers” tier. By the time the deadline rolls around, these teams will likely be selling anyone with a pulse in order to build up draft capital for 2021 and beyond.
The Raptors might not have a ton of second-round picks that they could part within the name of getting some depth for the playoff run, but an aggressive Ujiri could turn the back-end of Toronto’s roster into a package that entices some teams to part with game-changing players.
Any one of these four teams could be in a selling mood near the deadline, and the Raptors should start dangling players and picks in front of them in order to secure some trades,
These 4 teams could trade their stars to the Raptors
No. 4: Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota appeared to be in a solid position in the West for the first time in years, as a core of three Top 2 draft picks in Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and rookie Anthony Edwards seems like quite a nasty combination. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves find themselves with the worst record in the NBA.
Ryan Saunders has been fired and replaced with a former Raptors assistant in Chris Finch. Finch has no loyalty to any of these players, and he could look to trade anyone besides his superstar trio in order to get Minnesota ready for 2021 and beyond.
Potential Raptors targets: Jarrett Culver, Ricky Rubio, Ed Davis
Culver is a former No. 6 overall pick, but the presence of Russell and Edwards will make playing time hard to come by. Rubio could be a veteran option that could provide sharp passing and some nice finishes on the offensive end, while Davis could go a long way towards solving Toronto’s rebounding problem.
The Timberwolves have their young core all set with Towns, Russell, and Edwards all locked in for the next few seasons, but Saunders was unable to guide the team to wings. By getting some more draft capital or more ammo to trade for another star, Minnesota could let Toronto pick up players like Culver, Rubio, and Davis.
No. 3: Orlando Magic
The Magic have been a postseason presence for the last two seasons, as they have an All-Star center in Nikola Vucevic and enough perimeter shooters, Evan Fournier chief among them, to keep pace with the rest of the East. The injury bug has decided that Orlando isn’t going to contend in 2020.
Not only was Jonathan Isaac lost before the season, but the Magic have lost Markelle Fultz and rookie Cole Anthony during the season. The Magic could decide that either a full-scale rebuild centered around Anthony and Fultz is in order, which could make Vucevic available, or they could part ways with role players like Mo Bomba and Terrence Ross.
Potential Raptors targets: Nikola Vucevic, Mo Bamba, Terrence Ross
Ross, who topped 50 points during his Raptors tenure, can fill it up from the outside. Bamba might be struggling right now, but he could become a perfect rim-runner on a Toronto team in need of some extra size. The Raptors might be able to add either of those two without giving up any of their stars.
The Magic were able to become a playoff team over the last two years after years of futility, but 2020-21 is a complete wash due to their injuries. Starting a rebuilding effort and building around their two young guards in Fultz and Anthony is a much more prudent option than sticking it out with Vucevic and Fournier in the hopes they could creep into the playoffs.
No. 2: Oklahoma City Thunder
Mark Daigneault and the Thunder have pulled off some really impressive wins in a year where many expected them to be at the bottom of the West, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Bazley, and Lu Dort look like a solid young core. Despite some positive returns this year, Oklahoma City is clearly building for the future.
With oodles of draft picks due to the Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul trades, the Thunder could continue to stockpile, as going so could give them more chances to get Gilgeous-Alexander a co-star. Toronto should be on the phone with OKC right now.
Potential Raptors targets: Al Horford, George Hill, Kenrich Williams
Horford might not be the offensive player he was in Atlanta or Boston, but his defensive skills and veteran moxie should work well on the Raptors if he gets moved. Hill is the ideal veteran backup point guard, and Williams is the type of versatile athlete Nurse has a history of turning into stars.
The Thunder have one cornerstone in Gilgeous-Alexander, and Sam Presti has shown he is willing to get rid of anyone and everyone in order to get as many lottery tickets as possible. While OKC could get some assets to build for the future, Toronto could play the role of vultures that are picking the meaty scraps off of the Thunder’s carcass.
No. 1: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Raptors have been linked heavily to Andre Drummond, as he can provide the rebounding and interior scoring they need desperately right now. With Drummond again challenging for the league lead in rebounding, he would be an instant fix for the Raptors.
Cleveland had a very nice young core led by Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and new center Jarrett Allen. Despite that, the Cavs are likely to sell off some of their pieces if it means that they can get some more draft capital to support that trio.
Potential Raptors targets: Andre Drummond, Taurean Prince, Larry Nance
Even if the Cavs don’t send Drummond to Toronto, the Raptors will have plenty of quality choices. Prince, acquired in the James Harden trade, is a perfect stretch 4 for the Raptors, while Larry Nance can be a high-efficiency small-ball center off of the bench.
“Sexland” is starting to show what a quality pairing they can be, Allen looks like the center of the future, and Okoro could be a quality two-way player eventually. Even with all of that, Cleveland is still building, and Toronto might be able to give them some picks and players in exchange for someone like Drummond.