Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors did not sell one of their biggest assets in OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, or Gary Trent Jr. at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, which was a shocking development by itself. This was made even more unusual when they traded a first-round pick in exchange for Jakob Poeltl to fill their center vacancy.
This was a startling move to many of the fanbase, as large segments of that group of of the mindset that this core has a very firm ceiling and will not be able to compete for a championship in the near future. Ujiri, on the other hand, thinks this group is worthy of one more year to find out how good they can be.
Ujiri seems to think that the lack of a rim protector like Poeltl was so bad that Toronto couldn’t execute their defense in the way Nick Nurse had intended. Ujiri also thinks that certain players aren’t performing with the intent of trying to win games and are instead looking at their own individual goals.
Ujiri said that some Raptors have “played a little selfish” this season before remarking that Poeltl’s standout passing ability is one of the main reasons that he can change how this team performs. Ujiri is taking a huge gamble on his ability to identify talent in the draft. The Poeltl reacquisition could be a pivotal moment in his Raptors tenure.
"Sometimes we've played a little selfish. He's gonna pass the ball a little bit better for us. Knowing him, knowing his style of play, just knowing the guy, it already brings a little bit of spirit, seeing that."
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) February 9, 2023
More Raptors news:
- Ujiri seemed to hint at the idea that the Raptors will attempt to retain Trent, VanVleet, and Poeltl in the offseason. “We are always focused on trying to retain our players,” Ujiri said before implying that their performance in the next few weeks will impact how Toronto ends up viewing them as a free agent.
- Trent seemed to be very happy with the fact that the Raptors didn’t sell any of their big names. Trent is a firm believer in what Toronto is building, saying that he and the rest of the team are “trying to get this done” with Poeltl in the fold. After losing to the Jazz, Trent’s plan hasn’t started off very well.
Gary Trent Jr. is ready to rock pic.twitter.com/0PDTgcjp2U
— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) February 9, 2023
NBA news:
- The four-team trade that involved former Raptors 905 standout Gary Payton II getting shipped from the Portland Trail Blazers back to the Golden State Warriors could be put on hold, as an issue was discovered during Payton’s physical. The trade could still be finalized, but this is not a good look.
- The Jazz are not likely to hold onto point guard Russell Westbrook after acquiring him in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. If Utah buys him out, the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat may have an interest in rolling the dice on him as a potential point guard upgrade.