Toronto Raptors: Top 3 trade deadline trades in franchise history

By Ben Fisher | Mar 20, 2021

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after his team defeated the Golden State Warriors to win Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 13, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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In their history, the Toronto Raptors have never been much of a trade deadline team. From Isiah Thomas to Glen Grunwald to Bryan Colangelo to Masai Ujiri and all the executives in between, there has long existed a typical preference for off-season trading or roster shakeups earlier in a season.

Most of the franchise’s deadline activity has been decidedly minor in nature. Think Bruno Caboclo-for-Malachi Richardson at the 2018 deadline or Austin Daye for Nando De Colo – whose NBA rights we still own for some reason – in 2014. Other than your token “two years away from being two years away” joke, these moves weren’t going to grab the attention of Raptors fans.

Still, Toronto’s trade deadline history isn’t a completely barren wasteland. While the club has little history of selling off assets at deadline day, three of the best playoff runs in franchise history have come with the contributions of a deadline pick-up.

Will the Toronto Raptors add a new trade to this list in 2021?

The Raptors are might break kayfabe just a bit this deadline, however, as they could either buy some players to boost the playoff run or sell off some assets in order to make a playoff run.

For this list, we are just focusing on deadline day acquisitions, not any other mid-season trades. Sorry, Rudy Gay trade.