Toronto Raptors: 3 trades that move the Raptors up in 2021 NBA Draft order
By Mike Luciano
Toronto Raptors Trade No. 2: Toronto gets pick No. 2 from Houston
The Houston Rockets are another team that has valid arguments for drafting both a point guard and a center. With a potential Mobley/Christian Wood pairing giving them a super-young, super-talented frontcourt of the future and a backcourt featuring either Green or Suggs on track to be one of the best young tandems in the West, the Rockets are spoiled for choice.
If Cunningham is off-limits and heading to Detroit, the Raptors should turn their attention to Houston, as doing so could help them pick whichever non-Cunningham player appeals to them the most. Houston, meanwhile, stockpiles more assets.
Will the Rockets trade with the Toronto Raptors?
If the player they take at No. 2 performs up to what their potential is, the 2024 first-round pick is not going to be anywhere near the first eight selections. Losing a non-lottery pick and a second-rounder in order to secure someone the Raptors can lean on for a decade is not a steep price to pay.
Houston, meanwhile, is stuck in a very deep Western Conference, meaning it will take a very long time to dig themselves out of this hole. This gamble could give Houston two Top 10 picks and an additional second-rounder. It’s a risk to give that up to move up two spots, but it’s one that Toronto must take.