Falling to the 12th seed in the East, the Toronto Raptors went 4-11 in their last 15 games before ending that slide with a win against the Portland Trail Blazers. What started as a slip, maybe a slump, a rough stretch shooting, has now evolved into a bit of a crisis.
The Raptors’ roster, a positionless, defensive-minded team that aggressively attacked passing lanes and ran the floor, was odd from the beginning. The optimistic view of this approach was that Masai Ujiri and Nick Nurse were experimenting on the cutting edge of basketball strategy.
As it stands right now, things are bleak. Fred VanVleet has had a tough year shooting the ball, and no one knows if the team is getting “future of the franchise” Scottie Barnes or “scared to shoot” Scottie Barnes every night. The team still doesn’t have enough 3-point threats, a reliable backup point guard, or an actual starting center.
As such, the trade rumors have really started to kick into overdrive, with VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. being mentioned as two players who will be expected to command a very hefty return on the open market. Will Toronto come close to trading VanVleet, OG Anunoby, or Pascal Siakam?
Should the Toronto Raptors trade one of their starters?
Fred VanVleet
With about a month before the NBA’s trade deadline, every source under the sun has reported that the Raptors’ front office has been exploring trades. Many fans have speculated VanVleet is on the block. His difficulties this season have had a chunk of the fanbase souring on him, but if the Raptors decide to shake up the roster, it likely won’t be VanVleet who moves.
Masai Ujiri is a master NBA negotiator, and one of his savviest instincts is that he trades players at the right time. The most famous example is when he bought low on an enigmatic superstar named Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs would never have traded a happy, healthy Kawhi for DeMar DeRozan, but Masai bought low and won.
Remember when the Raptors sent Norman Powell to Portland in exchange for a much younger scoring guard in Gary Trent Jr? The Trail Blazers wouldn’t have agreed to that move a year prior, but Norm had been averaging nearly 20 points a game before he was traded. Masai sold high and won the trade.
The Toronto Raptors may not move off Fred VanVleet.
Trading VanVleet now would be selling him at his lowest point in years. Furthermore, most contending teams interested in making a “win now” move for a player like VanVleet are already happy with their point guard situation. Why add another cook in the kitchen at the cost of some first-round picks?
And finally, even though he’s had a rough stretch to start the season, VanVleet is still the kind of player the Raptors need to complement their young core best. He’s a high-character, two-way guard who can space the floor and score both on-ball and off-ball.
So if the Raptors won’t trade VanVleet, then whom?
OG Anunoby
Anunoby is the kind of player every team contending for a title should want. He’s one of the most versatile and impactful defensive players in the league, can space the floor off-ball, attacks the rim, and can occasionally get you 25+ points.
Anunoby’s youth, his very reasonable contract, and his blend of talents that make him malleable to any team’s scheme are why he is one of the most attractive players on the 2023 trade market. Ujiri would also be “selling high” on OG, who is having the best statistical season of his career on both ends of the court and is still only 25 years of age.
Wait. Why do we want to trade this guy again?
All of the above make OG the most tradable player on the team. If Masai Ujiri wanted to move some pieces around, he wouldn’t have to look that far to find a decent offer for Anunoby, The kind of young pieces the Raptors would get back from a team in an Anunoby trade would be significant.
Something else to keep in mind is the clogged artery that is the Raptors frontcourt rotation. It’s a perfect example of too much of a good thing. They have three core pieces, each whose skills demand a starting spot at the forward position, and each who have very different, very valid reasons to be empowered in the Raptors’ offense.
OG Anunoby will start an interesting debate for the Toronto Raptors.
While we have all three playing at once, one of them can never display their full potential. Siakam is clearly the most skilled, Anunoby is the most versatile, and Barnes is the youngest and most naturally gifted.
It would be tough to see any of these forwards go, but one thing must be kept in mind as we explore the old “to trade, or not to trade” question. While we have three, we’re doing one of them wrong.
Now, between Siakam’s All-NBA pedigree and Barnes’ promise of future superstardom, if forced to move one of these players, then the easiest answer would be Anunoby, right? Getting a Donovan Mitchell-type haul wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing in the world.
Pascal Siakam
It sounds silly at first glance.
Siakam is one of the best basketball players in the world. Period. He’s added elements to his game every year, won a championship, made All-Star teams, an All-NBA team, and is in the middle of his most dominant season yet. Still, Ujiri is likely asking himself if he needs to be the one to go.
If the Raptors were to trade Siakam, there would be two significant reasons why. As good as he is, a team with Pascal Siakam leading the way will likely never be able to win a championship without an ace No. 2 player to take the pressure off. As long as Pascal is starting, staring, and dominating the ball at the forward spot, Scottie Barnes’ needs and development will always be secondary.
Any of the aforementioned trades would be a move toward a rebuild. The Raptors don’t want to trade away their young pieces to try and make a run now. It’s just not in the cards.
So why not just go all in? If the team is moving towards a rebuild, then why not just commit and be done with it? They could fully empower the young core of Barnes, Trent, and Anunoby and tank for a high pick in this loaded draft class.
Pascal Siakam is at the heart of the Toronto Raptors.
The kind of trade package someone of his caliber would demand would be absurd. Think the Mitchell package, but kicked up a notch. The Raptors would be rolling in picks for the next four years, at least, and it would likely garner some more young pieces to grow as the next generation of Raptors.
It would be “selling high” on a player that’s having his best season yet.
This is the least likely trade scenario of the three, but it’s still worth mentioning. Ujiri is known for being aggressive in the trade market. He isn’t afraid of the big swing and knows the middle is the worst place to be in the NBA; he is not quite contending but not entirely rebuilding.