Raptors Rapture
Fansided

Toronto Raptors: Top 3 trade deadline trades in franchise history

By Ben Fisher

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)
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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
Jun 17, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol calls out to the crowd while on the bus at the Toronto Raptors Championship Parade. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 17, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol calls out to the crowd while on the bus at the Toronto Raptors Championship Parade. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

Raptors deadline trade No. 1: Marc Gasol, 2019

Kawhi Leonard will forever get the bulk of the credit for the 2019 championship – and rightfully so. But in hindsight, it’s hard to see a path to the title without the veteran presence and neutralizing force of Marc Gasol. To be clear, we never did get peak Gasol – his minutes, points, rebounds and shooting percentages were all down considerably from his career averages.

Still, to fully appreciate the Spaniard’s impact, it’s worth looking at what his postseason defensive assignments did – or didn’t do, as the case may be.

Orlando Magic All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic went from averaging 20.8 points and 12 rebounds in the regular season to just 11.2 points and eight rebounds against Gasol and the Raps in a five-game first round. Joel Embiid was hounded into 37% shooting in the second round, more than 100 points lower than his 48.4% mark in the regular season.

Those contributions, plus a 16-point, 12-rebound double against Milwaukee and a 20-point effort against Golden State, provided way more than long-time Raptor and sentimental favorite Jonas Valanciunas was likely to offer.

Marc Gasol helped the Raptors win a title

That Gasol stuck around for another productive 2019-20 campaign brought that much more value. And unless the 2024 second rounder somehow turns into a star, none of the trade package sent out (sorry, JV) has come back to haunt the organization.

While it’s not a landmark list of deadline day deals, the Raptors’ wheeling and dealing have brought in a stalwart defensive presence, a hugely popular franchise icon, and a difference-maker who helped deliver a title.

Looking ahead to this year’s March 25th deadline, perhaps Ujiri and Bobby Webster will land the key piece to help the team turn things around or sell off a significant player to begin a roster facelift. We shall see.

Next. Top 5 centers in Raptors history. dark