The Toronto Raptors have been identified as a team that could set the NBA trade frenzy ablaze as the trade deadline looms closer. The Raptors have plenty of impending free agents that can change the dynamic of a championship team, and teams are circling them like hawks waiting for them to press the big red button.
The Raptors will likely decide to retool rather than rebuild if they move off some players. After all, Scottie Barnes could hit his stride rather quickly and Pascal Siakam will likely get a huge supermax contract. The Raptors could instantly move back into contender mode if they become more comfortable with their roster construction.
Toronto might need to look to the Western Conference, where the elite teams are starting to separate from the pack following a surplus of early-season parity, for the perfect candidate that satisfies all of their issues. They might be able to add long-term difference-makers and quick veteran fixes.
The Raptors should take a gander at this trio of guards that can come right in and make an offensive impact. Toronto should be in the market for both veterans and young guns who could be a part of the team’s new-look core, and it’s up to Masai Ujiri to ignite that activeness.
Toronto Raptors trade rumors: 3 Western Conference guards to target.
3. Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
Gordon has been mentioned as a trade candidate for the last four years, but this might be the time Houston finally bites the bullet and trades him. After authoring up some stinging quotes about the state of the franchise, Gordon is finally starting to show that he is fed up with the culture.
While Gordon is not going to score 20 points every game, he has averaged a robust 12.7 points per game in the last two seasons while making just under 40% of his 3-pointers. While the shooting has ticked up slightly in the last few weeks, Toronto still lacks in this area.
Eric Gordon could be a nice fit for the Toronto Raptors.
Considering that Thad Young went for a first-round pick last year, Gordon might not come cheap. If the Raptors can potentially get a third team involved or protect the pick heavily, Gordon might be able to come to Toronto and plug a much-needed hole on a wildly volatile bench.
Gordon will likely get his wish to leave granted at some point in the near future, but other contenders will be hot on his trail. Toronto needs to be showstopping with their offer to Rafael Stone, as they will need to beat out teams willing to offer more promising assets than Ujiri is comfortable with.
2. D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves
Russell, like VanVleet, is a free agent at the end of this season. Suppose the Raptors want to pull off a similar deal to the Norman Powell swap a few years ago. In that case, they could add a player like Russell, who can be as effective offensively while not being as financially burdensome for this front office.
Since the start of the 2019 season, Russell has averaged 19.8 points and 6.6 assists per game. He’s topping 17 points per game on 46% shooting under former Raptors assistant Chris Finch, who runs a very similar offense. Russell will get paid, but it won’t be $130 million in four years like Fred VanVleet might be eyeing.
The Toronto Raptors would do well to add D’Angelo Russell.
Russell and VanVleet are nowhere close in terms of how impactful they are as defenders, which will likely factor into Toronto’s evaluation of him as a player and impact his contract in free agency. However, Russell makes sense if they want a pure kick in the rear end in their half-court offense.
VanVleet, who doesn’t need a ton of shots to impact the game, can join a talented Minnesota team learning how to win consistently. The Timberwolves could send away Russell to the Raptors, giving Toronto a lethal creative force with the shooting needed to impact this team.
1. Dyson Daniels, New Orleans Pelicans
If the suddenly hot Pelicans decide to move off some of their young assets in order to establish themselves as a contender, Daniels might be on the move. The No. 8 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Daniels will likely be in the Raptors’ crosshairs as they try to negotiate with New Orleans.
4.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists might not seem impressive, but Daniels is very rarely given a featured offensive role on a very deep New Orleans team. Rather than looking at those numbers, Toronto will look at Daniels’ impressive efficiency and much-improved shooting.
Dyson Daniels would fit the Toronto Raptors.
Daniels, who stands 6-8 and was drafted No. 8 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft due to some genuinely freakish athleticism for the position, operates like more of a traditional point guard than a player like Scottie Barnes, yet could be just as effective in an elevated role.
With the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades giving New Orleans one of the best collections of assets in the league, the Pelicans can be as aggressive as any team in the league. If they want to acquire a player like VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr, or OG Anunoby, New Orleans may offer up a player like the rookie Daniels.