Raptors: 3 trades with Atlantic Division rivals that could help Toronto
By Mike Luciano
Trade No. 2: The Raptors make a trade with the New York Knicks
The Knicks, ahead of schedule in their rebuild, might make this trade a reality if center Mitchell Robinson returns from injury in the near future. The young center returning for injury could force the Knicks to once again get into a bit of a selling mood in order to make their defense even stronger, and Toronto could help them in that regard.
Noel is averaging 2.0 blocks per game, while Rivers is scoring 7.3 points per game despite being frozen out of the rotation. In the month of January, Rivers averaged 9.4 points per game while making 40% of his 3-point attempts, and he could return to that level if Nurse lets him crack the rotation.
How would Nerlens Noel and Austin Rivers help the Raptors?
Swapping Noel for Baynes could give the Raptors a center with more upside on both ends, while Rivers could fill the role Terence Davis has failed to assimilate into, as Rivers can be a point guard and shooting guard off of the bench capable of getting hot and lighting it up from beyond the arc.
Baynes and Johnson would help the Knicks go from a great defense to arguably the best in the entire league, as Johnson’s versatility could help him eek out minutes. With the Knicks potentially getting better draft position and Toronto recouping some second-round picks after trading away picks for the next two years, this trade satisfies both sides.