Toronto Raptors fans have started getting the trade machines up and running in the last few days, as the team’s 13-14 record and poor offensive play have many begging for a change. Names like Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. have been put firmly in the trade crosshairs.
The roster, as it is currently constructed, has holes that will prevent the Raptors from becoming true contenders. The team lacks consistent shooting and guard depth, and the combination of those two issues and some bad injury luck have made it tough to get into a rhythm.
If the Raptors make no moves, it’s hard to see them making an extended run without working Pascal Siakam to the point of bursting. Masai Ujiri is keenly aware of that fact. With some big contract decisions to make, Toronto will be on the phone frequently in January and February.
The rumor mill is starting to churn heavily as pieces linking Raptors players to other teams pop up left and right. Which reports could end up becoming true, and which ones sound like more noise rattling around the NBA landscape not backed by substance?
Buy or sell recent Toronto Raptors rumors
3. Is Gary Trent Jr. gone?
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus quoted one unnamed source who said that they “don’t think [the Raptors] want to keep Trent.” Considering the fact that Trent can opt out of his contract at the end of this season, he’s been considered the most likely state to be moved.
Trading Trent at a time when the Raptors have one of the worst offenses in the league makes no sense. Trent has averaged just under 20 points per game since November 30, showing that his move to the bench has actually helped get him back on the right track. His once-mocked defensive effort looks to have straightened up as well.
The Toronto Raptors have a standout in Gary Trent Jr.
The Raptors will assuredly keep Siakam, and there is almost no chance O.G. Anunoby will get moved. However, the Raptors can still improve this team in a fairly significant way without trading away Trent. If they don’t get a knockdown shooter in return, they will have foolishly parted with an ascending young guard who can shoot.
While Ujiri and Nick Nurse think they can build the whole team out of switchable 6-8 wings, the results this year have shown how catastrophic the results can be when this strategy fails. Trent has a golden opportunity to show the Raptors just how vital he is to their plan.
Verdict: Sell
2. Teams expecting “fireworks?”
As reported by Zach Lowe in his “10 Things” column, executives around the league are expecting the Raptors to set off “fireworks” if the team does not start winning games before the trade deadline. This is in line with what Ujiri has typically expected from his teams over the last few years.
Ujiri is not a fan of just sneaking into the play-in tournament, seemingly favoring either bottoming out or making moves that take the squad closer to contention. With so many players on the team in their prime, the Raptors would be foolish to waste such a promising roster.
Will Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors make big trades?
The Raptors may have taken baby steps to fix their height issues by drafting Christian Koloko, but Toronto is still lacking in guard depth and 3-point shooting. These issues are exacerbated by the fact that the Raptors’ insistence on playing such an aggressive, breakneck style of basketball that tires out their players.
Toronto will assuredly not have the same combination of 17 players when the deadline passes. If they don’t end up winning with the core as it is currently constructed, it should shock absolutely no one if the Raptors end up swapping out parts of their bench and/or one starter to improve.
Verdict: Buy
1. Fred VanVleet in Florida?
The Pincus report also mentioned the possibility of VanVleet coming up in trade talks. Pincus himself believed that the Orlando Magic could be interested in trading a guard and center in order to get an established veteran that can supercharge the team’s rebuild effort.
This deal is not only unlikely; it’s improbable. The Magic are still years away from being a force in the East and have established one of the league’s more interesting young frontcourts thanks to Wendell Carter Jr. and ROY frontrunner Paolo Banchero. Why would they take the ball out of their hands and lean on a smaller, aging PG?
Will the Toronto Raptors trade Fred VanVleet?
With VanVleet playing his worst offensive basketball in years, the Raptors may have a hard time selling him as a trade. An aging player without showstopping athletic ability in need of a new contract that may approach or exceed nine figures isn’t as desirable as it sounds.
If a VanVleet trade happens, he will likely be the headliner in a trade package for a star or going to another contender willing to give him a new contract. Sending him to a rehabilitation project in Orlando might be what Magic fans want, but it doesn’t make logical sense.
Verdict: Sell