NBA executive foolishly links Raptors star OG Anunoby to Heat

The trade rumors around Toronto Raptors star OG Anunoby are likely not going to subside in the coming days or weeks, as teams from around the league are going to give their best shot at acquiring an elite defender and ascending offensive talent on a cheap contract.

After crashing out of the Eastern Conference finals (and somehow blaming Kyle Lowry for it), the Miami Heat could be in the mood for some big-game hunting in the offseason. Anunoby might be on their list, as he seems perfect for what Erik Spoelstra wants to do.

Speaking with Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney, an anonymous executive said that Anunoby could be a fit in Miami, with Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro and backup big man Omer Yurtseven coming back to Toronto as collateral. Risky doesn’t begin to describe this.

“The Raptors are not giving him away,” the executive said. “Masai is a tough deal-maker. You’d need Robinson in there to make the money work though I don’t know that Toronto wants him. They could flip him elsewhere. But they would have to have Herro and Yurtseven for sure.” This trade sounds more appealing than it is for Toronto.

The Toronto Raptors should not trade OG Anunoby to Miami.

Let’s look at these three assets piece-by-piece. Herro is an elite scorer and dominant Sixth Man who would immediately give the Raptors a 20-points-per-game dynamo. However, he is one of the worst defensive players in the league, and Ujiri seemed much more interested in Precious Achiuwa than Herro in Kyle Lowry talks.

Perhaps time will tell if he has changed his mind.

Robinson’s bloated five-year contract has officially moved into albatross territory. Another defensive liability who brings little to the game outside of an admittedly excellent 3-point shot, Robinson won’t be enough in an Anunoby trade. Yurtseven is a perfectly serviceable backup big, but he doesn’t move the needle.

The Raptors don’t have to sell Anunoby, and it would take quite the return package for Ujiri to give him away to a title contender in their own conference without getting an elite defender in return. This hypothetical would, unfortunately, be a steal for the Heat.

Herro would be great in Toronto, but would swapping out Anunoby and acquiring him really make the roster that much more dynamic? Toronto is better off holding onto him or getting an ungodly haul from a team who gets desperate and pulls the trigger.