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3 teams the Toronto Raptors outperformed at the trade deadline

By Mike Luciano

TORONTO, ONTARIO - JUNE 19: Masai Ujiri, President, Toronto Raptors attends the 2020 Audi Innovation Series on June 19, 2020 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/Getty Images for Audi Innovation Series)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - JUNE 19: Masai Ujiri, President, Toronto Raptors attends the 2020 Audi Innovation Series on June 19, 2020 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/Getty Images for Audi Innovation Series) /
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Toronto Raptors
DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 19: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the Dallas Mavericks looks to pass the ball in the second half against the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images) /

The Toronto Raptors were linked to a host of names at the NBA trade deadline, but they only managed to close on one deal. Goran Dragic and a first-round pick were sent to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Thad Young and an early second-round selection in the 2022 NBA Draft.

While some fans might not like the fact that Toronto gave up a first-round pick, others were a bit ticked at the fact that Young was the big deadline acquisition despite being linked to some of the biggest available targets out there. Even with those criticisms, Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster did alright.

Young might be another 6-8 power forward, but he should be a worthwhile addition given defensive versatility, consistency on the offensive end, and leadership. Adding a valuable rotation contributor and getting a draft pick back in exchange for Dragic is a better deadline than some teams have had.

Raptors fans should feel confident in the fact that they had a much better trade deadline performance than either of these three franchises. The club was able to make minor improvements without completely mortgaging the future for a short-term upgrade.

3 teams the Toronto Raptors outperformed at the trade deadline

3. Washington Wizards

The Kings could’ve earned this spot due to the Tyrese Haliburton deal, but it’s hard to knock a trade that brings back a player like Domantas Sabonis. The Wizards did manage to retool their rotation, but they did so thanks to one trade they clearly lost and one in which neither team looks great.

Washington did offload the contracts of Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, but they had to take on the bloated contract of the injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis to do so. Both Washington and Dallas appeared to get worse as a result of this trade. What sealed the deal was the swap that the Wizards made with a division rival.

The Toronto Raptors didn’t deplete their depth, unlike the Wizards.

The Wizards traded Montrezl Harrell, who has averaged 15.8 points per game over the last four seasons, to the Hornets in exchange for Vernon Carey Jr. and Ish Smith. Carey has played sparingly in 23 NBA games in his career, while Smith is an aging, declining point guard that is inferior to Dinwiddie.

The Wizards also parted ways with Aaron Holiday for…cash considerations. The Suns will land a promising young point guard, and Washington gets some extra money to toss around. If Bradley Beal leaves, we could see a full-on rebuild get underway in DC.