3 Pacers players the Toronto Raptors should consider trading for
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors are stuck in what has become a very crowded Eastern Conference playoff picture, as their lack of amazing bench depth is going to come back and bite them in the butt if they don’t get things straightened out. They might need to poach players from rebuilding teams before the deadline comes around.
The Indiana Pacers could be a willing trade partner. Not only are they struggling to compete despite some proven All-Star talent, but they might be teetering on the precipice of a rebuild given how the Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis pairing is starting to fray.
The Raptors need a backup center that can add some height to a team severely lacking in that area, but acquiring a bench scorer that can take some of the pressure off of the starters would not go amiss. Kevin Pritchard is eyeing draft picks, and that could help Indiana jump-start the rebuild.
These 3 players would make sense from a fit perspective on the Toronto Raptors. If the front office gets a bit more cavalier about their draft capital, one of these three players could end up swapping out their blue and yellow tops for some potentially playoff-bound red and black threads.
3 Indiana Pacers players the Toronto Raptors could target in trades.
3. C Goga Bitadze
Bitadze has not made good on his draft position after getting taken 18th overall, but can you really blame him? With Turner and Sabonis ahead of him and the selection of Isaiah Jackson this year, bringing Bitadze back for a fourth season doesn’t make a ton of sense for Indiana.
One team that could pilfer him from the Pacers’ ranks is the Raptors, as they still lack a player taller than 6-9. Bitadze has seen his development stagnate, but there’s enough to work with from an offensive perspective to the point where a trade and insertion in the rotation could be worth pursuing.
The Toronto Raptors might be interested in Goga Bitadze.
Bitadze would face competition from the likes of Precious Achiuwa and Khem Birch. Given the former’s athleticism and surprising defensive prowess, Birch would likely see a reduction in minutes. That’s a risk Toronto might be willing to take if they believe in Bitadze as a prospect.
Bitadze wouldn’t cost a ton to acquire, and he wouldn’t fix their rim protection issues by himself, but he’s got enough untapped potential to get Toronto interested. Masai Ujiri loves taking on former first-round picks with the hope of jump-starting their careers, so Bitadze might appeal to him.