Winners and losers after Raptors lose Fred VanVleet, keep Jakob Poeltl
By Mike Luciano
Loser: The Atlantic Division
The Raptors managed to have the best draft in the Atlantic Division when they selected Gradey Dick, and it appears as though they have once again lapped the remainder of their division rivals. The Raptors may not be quite the pushover they were in past seasons.
The 76ers’ biggest addition to this point has been Patrick Beverley, and they have resigned themselves to losing James Harden. The Knicks traded away a former first-round draft choice in Obi Toppin for pennies on the dollar while missing out on many of the big names.
The Toronto Raptors outdid their rivals.
The Celtics may have extended Kristaps Porzingis, but that move was expected following the trade. Oshae Brissett has been their big-name addition so far. Likewise, the Nets did well to retain Cam Johnson, but this was largely a formality after the Kevin Durant trade.
The Raptors might be somewhat far away from contending, but everyone assuming they will be a doormat for the rest of the division will be proven very wrong. Losing VanVleet robs them of scoring punch, but they still managed to do better than all of their most hated opponents.