This Raptors-Pacers trade could help both sides retool quickly

While the Toronto Raptors came into the season with nearly the exact same roster as last year’s 48-win team, all of that optimism has been dashed due to some painful losses and shocking volatility.

This kind of inconsistency is becoming an alarming trend. The Raptors haven’t been able to string together more than three victories in a row all season. With ground to make up in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the pressure is on for them to figure things out.

That’s why the next week and a half will be so crucial for the Raptors — if they can put together some wins and start to resemble a playoff team, the front office might be willing to ride things out a bit longer, seeing how far this iteration of the squad can take them. However, if they find themselves on the fringes of the playoff picture, it might be time for a roster shake-up.

Several players have reportedly garnered interest in the trade market, most notably OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. The entire league is reportedly on watch to see how the Raptors perform during the rest of their road trip, as it may determine whether or not these players become available before the February 9 trade deadline.

Should the Raptors be looking to make a deal, the Indiana Pacers will surely come knocking at the door. The two teams have been closely linked in trade talks for several years now, with Toronto long having been considered a potential destination for Pacers big Myles Turner.

Although the Pacers managed to lock down Turner over the weekend, they still have some intriguing pieces that the Raptors could look to acquire. More importantly, the Pacers still have the cap space to sign one of Toronto’s big-name stars, should the latter be looking to trade one.

This Raptors-Pacers trade sends OG Anunoby to Indiana.

With the Turner extension, the Pacers’ frontcourt becomes pretty crowded, especially since they are increasingly leaning toward running more small-ball lineups. In addition to Turner, they currently employ Daniel Theis, Jalen Smith, Goga Bitadze and Isaiah Jackson, with only enough minutes available going forward for likely three of these guys.

Jackson is exactly the archetype that the Raptors need. He’s an athletic big with rim-running ability who also threatens to be a force on the defensive end. His 4.9 block % is in the 99th percentile among bigs (subscription required), and could begin to solve some of the Raptors’ woes on the defensive side of the ball.

Sure, he doesn’t move the needle as much as you would like, but he could feature as a Chris Boucher-like energy guy in the bench lineup.

The Raptors would also be getting native Canadian Andrew Nembhard, an underrated rookie guard who has carved himself a role in the Pacers rotation this year. A skilled defender, Nembhard would provide a bit more resistance defending at the point of attack, something the Raptors have lacked this season.

Nembhard is also a competent enough ball-handler, and would make a serious case to lead the Raptors’ bench unit.

When it comes to Duarte, the Raptors would be taking a slight risk. Although his rookie season was positively regarded, his shooting percentages have fallen off this season. His three-point rate plummeted from 38% to 29%, and his overall shooting efficiency is among the worst in the league at his position.

This being said, Duarte has spent the season in a changed role, almost falling out of the rotation entirely. He also went down with an ankle sprain in mid-November, missing a month and a half and never really looking the same since.

From the Raptors’ perspective, it might be worth taking a risk on a young player who has shown flashes of competence early in his career. After all, they need shooting, and Duarte has shown that he can provide that. Lastly, the Raptors would get two first-round picks in this summer’s draft. This should help them find some young talent to fill out their roster.

On the other side of things, this trade makes a lot of sense for the Pacers. OG is exactly the kind of player the Pacers are looking for right now — a long, switchable wing who can defend up and down the positional spectrum. Much like the Raptors, the Pacers play a fast-paced, transition-oriented brand of basketball.

Offensively, OG should fit nicely into Rick Carlisle’s spread offense. He will benefit from having ample space with which to operate, created by the shooting gravity of Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield.

OG will also benefit from having a bona fide playmaker who is able to find him in the spots where he’s comfortable. Contrary to how the Raptors tried to use him earlier this season, OG is not a primary offensive creator and shouldn’t be expected to make advanced reads or to navigate through defenses all by himself.

He’s a shooter and a straight-line driver with the requisite size and skill to exploit the occasional mismatch on the drive. Having a pass-first guard in Haliburton who can make these reads should simplify the game for him, allowing him to do the things at which he’s most effective.

This trade would also have positive financial implications for the Raptors. Firstly, they get to trade away Anunoby’s contract, giving them $10.8 million with which to pay VanVleet or Trent Jr. this summer, who will surely command a larger salary.

The Raptors’ bench has long been a sore spot, and this trade will allow them to finally construct a proper NBA second unit while saving enough money to extend their stars.