The Toronto Raptors might be in the mood to get aggressive this offseason, which could prompt either Masai Ujiri or Bobby Webster to bring in a potential franchise player by looking at the trade market.
Some younger players bust out of the league because they were not evaluated correctly and overdrafted, but some players fail to make it with their first NBA team because they are surrounded by inadequate infrastructure, either thanks to the coaching staff, the front office, or the roster as a whole.
The Raptors not only have a culture built on the development of some potential young stars, but they have also shown a preference for making some somewhat risky trades with the goal of taking a player that is an incongruous fit elsewhere in order to get them assimilated in their culture.
These four players are all 23 or younger, could theoretically be better off if they move to a different team this offseason, and could all be solid fits with the Raptors if they are acquired via trade.
These 4 young players could be reborn with the Toronto Raptors.
4. Sekou Doumbouya, Detroit Pistons
Doumbouya was always going to be a bit of a developmental project when he was picked 15th overall in 2019, as his offense needed to catch up to his jaw-dropping defensive potential. However, with the Pistons ready to turn the page and start the Cade Cunningham era, Doumbouya is running out of time.
Doumbouya averaged just 5.1 points per game and made 38% of his shots last year. Those numbers sound bad enough, but they are even worse when you consider that all of those figures are worse than what they are all sharp declines from what he produced during his first season. Is there any hope for him ever breaking out?
Could the Toronto Raptors develop Sekou Doumbouya?
The Raptors have shown via the Stanley Johnson and DeAndre’ Bembry signings that they are willing to give former first-round picks a chance to right some of their early wrongs and start fresh, especially if they are defensive forwards with the ability to guard several different positions.
Nick Nurse will love someone like Doumbouya on the defensive side, and he has shown that he can turn poor shooters into average ones and average shooters into solid ones. If Doumbouya can’t improve on those percentages with Nurse’s help, he might find it tough to stick in the NBA.