The Toronto Raptors are going to be one of the most watched teams in the league in the next 48 hours, as they have several big free agents on the market in addition to a handful of tradeable assets contenders will covet. OG Anunoby could net the Raptors quite a haul if they moved on.
Despite the fact that the roster is getting very old and Draymond Green could leave in free agency, the Golden State Warriors might be slightly interested in acquiring a player like Anunoby. The latest reports claim that Golden State was willing to offload an asset like Jordan Poole to get a deal done.
According to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, the Warriors tried to offer up Poole in a trade that would have sent him to Toronto and Anunoby to Golden State, but the Raptors were not interested. Poole was later shipped away to the Wizards as they began a lengthy rebuild.
Considering that Poole ended up getting traded for a 38-year-old point guard in Chris Paul, it appears as if Toronto was correct in assessing they would be foolish to give up on Anunoby for Poole. The fit would have been solid, but the value in a standalone package was not there.
The Raptors reportedly rejected a Jordan Poole for OG Anunoby trade offer from the Warriors, per @timkawakami pic.twitter.com/p2qjq3a8H5
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 28, 2023
NBA rumors: Raptors shut down OG Anunoby/Jordan Poole trade.
The Warriors have been trying to get their hands on Anunoby for quite some time, as they were engaged with Toronto in talks that would have sent him to Golden State. However, Masai Ujiri balked at the draft picks the Warriors were going to send over and the collection of young players that would have made up the return.
The Raptors appear to be intent on holding onto Anunoby, barring some sort of incredible overpay they would be foolish to turn down. Considering that it would be difficult to get adequate value for one of the best defensive players in the game, their hesitation is warranted.
Anunoby has only one year left on his deal, and there have been rumors about his dissatisfaction with his role in the offense. Trading him now makes sense, but Ujiri is not going to make a trade just for the sake of getting a transaction done.
The Wizards weren’t the only team the Warriors contacted about Jordan Poole.
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) June 28, 2023
One of their first calls was to check with the Raptors about a trade for OG Anunoby.
✍️ @timkawakamihttps://t.co/cY8dINI3AL pic.twitter.com/96xMt2a48o
The Raptors may still end up looking to move Anunoby if a team gets desperate and really wants him, but Ujiri’s general hesitancy and the failed Poole trade show that fans should not expect such a move any time soon.