The Toronto Raptors may not be done finishing their offseason plans, as the Damian Lillard trade saga could end up ensuring Masai Ujiri and the rest of the front office. Toronto may try to acquire Lillard, but the latest rumors seem to suggest that Dame is hellbent on joining the Miami Heat.
The Raptors may not end up with Lillard, but the fact that Lillard hasn’t been traded yet goes to show that Portland’s front office has been thoroughly unimpressed with the collection of assets Miami is threatening to flip in exchange for the future Hall of Fame point guard.
Toronto should try to get in on this trade talk, as they could end up being a third team that gets a major asset added to their cupboard in exchange for helping facilitate this deal. Miami might need to compensate Toronto well if it means Lillard could come to town.
The Raptors need to look at these three Heat assets as they try to potentially facilitate a Lillard deal. They won’t get all of them, and Miami will try to keep as much of their own as possible, but they will need to offload some of them if they want any chance of making a three-team Dame trade a reality.
3 Heat players the Toronto Raptors could target in Damian Lillard trade talks.
3. Nikola Jovic
The Heat have been able to develop young talent reasonably well, but they are also willing to send many of their prized neophyte assets away if they can add a proven veteran. Jovic might be a casualty of that philosophy despite the former first-round pick’s recent improvements.
The 6-10 wing/forward hybrid played very well with Serbia in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, averaging 10.1 points per game on 57/42/76 shooting percentages. He’s added weight and looks much more confident from 3-point range, which bodes well for a Raptors team that needs more offensive projects to work with.
Nikola Jovic could thrive on the Toronto Raptors.
Jovic is much more likely to be traded than Jaime Jaquez, who was selected just a few picks after Gradey Dick due to his terrific stretch at UCLA. Ujiri would likely prioritize getting young players who can help this roster down the road, and Jovic is the best such player Miami has to offer.
Precious Achiuwa looked like a G League player at times with Miami, and Toronto helped turn him into a defensive dynamo and athletic whirling dervish that can be a problem on both ends (when his finishing cooperates). They could have similar good luck with Jovic.
2. Duncan Robinson
Robinson has one of the least desirable contracts in the league, but the Raptors could absorb it (with some draft compensation coming their way) if it could help finalize the Lillard to Miami deal. He needs a career resurgence after Erik Spoelstra saw the worst of him in the 2022-23 season.
Two years ago, Robinson was making over 40% of his 3-pointers with some of the highest volume in the league. His percentage dropped all the way down to 33% last season. With laughable defense and some poor passing skills, Robinsom’s value lies almost entirely in his shooting.
Will the Toronto Raptors get use out of Duncan Robinson?
Robinson may just need a fresh start, and the Raptors could afford him that. The team will trust him and Dick to shoot early and often when they get on the floor, and they will give Robinson the long leash he needs to get back to the difference-maker he used to be.
Robinson’s contract is nasty, but the Raptors could be prepared to absorb it in future seasons due to their impending free agents and young roster who might not require paydays for a few more years. It would be a gamble, but getting the proverbial double six (or double five, to match his jersey) would give Toronto more offensive punch.
1. Tyler Herro
Herro has been linked to the Raptors in the past, as Masai Ujiri could be eyeing some instant offense. Herro and Lillard playing alongside one another could make for an awkward fit, but the Blazers may not like adding Herro due to the presence of Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe.
Herro could be better served with the Raptors. He is one of the worst defensive players in the league, but he can get white-hot in an instant and would instantly be the second-best scorer on this team. Due to his contract, the Raptors could have him locked in long-term.
Tyler Herro could dominate with the Toronto Raptors.
Herro could give the Raptors a proper starting ball-handler who can be a lethal on-ball scorer in half-court situations on a team that doesn’t have too many players like that. Within how young he is, Herro’s best basketball could be in the windshield rather than the rearview mirror.
Losing Herro is the only way that a trade can make sense from a stylistic and financial point of view. If Rajakovic can get any sort of defensive effort out of Herro, he could coast to yet another All-Star game appearance with his new team.