Raptors writers roundtable: Thoughts on the first half of 2020-21
By Mike Luciano
Question No. 4: What player should the Raptors acquire at the deadline?
ML: Marvin Bagley III. The Kings are on the verge of another fire sale, and Bagley has averaged 14 and 7 for the last three seasons. His value has never been lower, but Nurse could turn him into a somewhat competent defender while helping him blossom on offense. He could be a star in Toronto.
JL: Richaun Holmes. There’s been a lot of talk about Andre Drummond, but if the Raptors are looking for a cheaper option. The Kings big man would be a great fit.
AS: Sign free agent DeMarcus Cousins to a short term deal. I know he’s a bit unusual and he’s in decline, but he’s still a nice offensive big man. He fills a lot of the holes in the Raptors roster
BF: Khem Birch. I don’t see a path to acquiring a centre that provides an obvious upgrade over an improving Baynes, but there are ways to address the team’s rebounding struggles while still staying true to smaller lineups. The Montreal native Birch may be undersized at 6’11”, but his 2.6 offensive rebounds per game would rank first on the Raps by a significant margin despite his 20 minutes per game. He’s just 28, isn’t owed any money past this season and could probably be had without giving up any major trade assets.
PG: They need a center. Any center. I don’t care who it is. They need someone who can grab rebounds be the defensive anchor that Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol were. I had to pick on who it should be, its Andre Drummond. It’s going to be hard to trade for him, especially since it looks like Norman Powell isn’t available in trade talks. Despite that, if there is one person that can make a trade work, its Masai Ujiri.