Grade the Trade: 3 Raptors trades for backup point guards
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors retained Gary Trent Jr. and Jakob Poeltl in the 2023 offseason, all while making smaller moves to address their lack of depth. Still, Toronto’s loss of Fred VanVleet has prompted some to believe that the Raptors are in need of some new blood.
If they end up trading some of their current players, targeting a point guard might make sense. Dennis Schroder is a solid player, but he is nothing beyond a two-year stopgap until a more permanent solution is found. If Scottie Barnes is not transitioning to point guard, one new face is needed.
Eric Koreen of the Athletic tested the trade waters and surveyed the landscape, identifying a dozen or so point guards that could feasibly be let go by their respective teams in favor of either Toronto’s bench assets or one high-end starting piece in a like-for-like swap.
Would any one of these three trades make the Raptors better? They would have to bite the bullet and flip some of their more interesting assets to bring yet another ball-handler into the mix, but it would fix one of the team’s more immediate issues.
Grade the Trade: 3 Toronto Raptors point guard trades.
3. Cole Anthony comes up north
While the Raptors have too many power forwards that can defend on the wing, the Magic have too many point guards that need the ball. If Chris Boucher is on the market, new Magic GM and former Raptors guard Anthony Parker might be in the mood to engage with his former team.
Both players Toronto is acquiring in this 2-for-1 swap have some issues that take this deal out of the A-range. Okeke is a negative asset with declining production and offensive problems, while adding yet another ball-handler that can’t shoot in Anthony could lead to friction with Schroder.
Will the Toronto Raptors land Cole Anthony?
Anthony lacks Jalen Suggs’ two-way potential and Markelle Fultz’s off-ball versatility. While not a fantastic shooter, Anthony is willing and able to attack the basket, compete his tail off on both sides of the floor, and supercharge bench units as a primary ball-handler.
Rolling with two undersized guards who can’t shoot in the same lineup might make for a very unusual alignment that could hurt him, but some improved shooting from Anthony could help Darko Rajakovic get the depth and perimeter scoring that he needs to run his offense properly.
Grade: B+