Deranged O.G. Anunoby trade is pure comedy for Raptors fans

The Toronto Raptors have seen both Pascal Siakam and Precious Achiuwa pick up some nagging injuries over the first few days, and part of the reason that they have continued to win games has been the excellent play of O.G. Anunoby. This is the finest version of the two-way stud we’ve seen.

Anunoby is averaging three steals per game while being just as effective in the post as he has been in prior seasons. The idea of Anunoby being a long-term contributor for this team has gotten even stronger and more difficult to dismiss. The offseason trade rumblings seem like a thing of the past.

Even with that, there are teams like the Dallas Mavericks that would love to steal a player like him for a not-so-premium price. Masai Ujiri is not going to trade him unless he gets a Godfather offer he can’t refuse. If offered some of the mock trades floating around on the internet, he would keel over in laughter.

Sports Illustrated’s Dallas Basketball concocted a trade that Ujiri would likely reject in two seconds. In this move, the Mavericks would gain a solid No. 2 option next to Luka Doncic and an elite defender, while the Raptors pick up Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell, and a first-round pick in 2025.

This Dallas Mavericks-Toronto Raptors O.G. Anunoby trade is comical.

Where to even start with this? The Raptors, a team with designs on a high playoff seed coming off a 48-win campaign and getting All-Star production from multiple starters, are going to trade away someone who has arguably been their second-best player this year for a package headlined by Reggie Bullock?

Powell has been hypothetically traded to the Raptors for parts of the last three seasons, and Toronto is going to be even less interested now that Christian Koloko has emerged as a viable rotation player. Bullock is a fine shooter, but he’s nowhere close to as valuable as O.G.

While this mock deal correctly assesses that the Raptors will be forced to make some tough financial decisions in the new few years, Anunoby putting on a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year campaign should convince Ujiri and this front office to consider making him a long-term fixture.

Barring either a complete fire sale or a superstar becoming available, O.G. is going to be right in the thick of Toronto’s plans. This is a trade the Raptors would have made in the Tampa bubble to stockpile assets, not a few months out from a potential postseason run.