The Toronto Raptors might be viewed as sellers when the trade deadline comes around, as it seems unlikely both Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby will be given long-term deals. However, a move for a win-now piece can’t be ruled out, especially if the Chicago Bulls keep losing.
The Bulls have fallen to 3-6 to start the 2023-24 season, as the three-headed monster of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic don’t seem to be amounting to much of anything. Billy Donovan and Arturas Karnisovas seem to be dangerously close to a reset.
Brian Windhorst reported that teams across the league are watching the Bulls with a great deal of interest, assuming that players like LaVine and DeRozan could be traded away as part of a more significant restructuring. The Raptors might be able to pick up a difference-maker as a result of this hypothetical downturn.
While the Raptors don’t have the assets or the financial flexibility to acquire one of Chicago’s stars, they could be at the front of the pack for some of their less-heralded players. These 3 Bulls could give the Raptors the boost they need to improve their short-term prospects and long-term outlook.
3 Chicago Bulls players the Toronto Raptors could trade for.
3. Ayo Dosunmu
The Raptors were chasing Dosunmu hard in the offseason before he ultimately chose to return to Chicago. The Raptors have very specific “types” of players they look for when trying to acquire talent, and Dosunmu’s skillset lends perfectly to what Masai Ujiri often wants from his guards.
Dosunmu averaged 8.7 points and 2.9 assists per game while making over half his shots in his first two seasons with the Bulls, but he has been reduced from a key bench producer to a mop-up reserve who clearly has been demoted. Despite his multi-year contract, Chicago is running out of use for him.
The Toronto Raptors could look at Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu’s shooting isn’t amazing, but he would still be worth developing in that area. With his defensive tenacity, finishing inside the arc, and playmaking (when utilized like someone with his passing skills), the former Illinois star is impressive enough for Ujiri to roll the dice on him.
While Malachi Flynn has been much better in the last few weeks, he certainly isn’t in a position to assume that he’s got playing time locked down. Dosunmu won’t come for cheap, but getting him in a trade could take the guesswork out of signing another guard in free agency.
2. Dalen Terry
The Bulls took Terry, a teammate of Raptors center Christian Koloko during their collegiate days at Arizona, at No. 18 overall despite averaging just 6.6 points per game in Tuscon. The Bulls thought they could teach this 6-7 guard/wing/weird hybrid to shoot, but the results haven’t been very encouraging.
Terry has played just 42 games in the NBA while averaging 5.4 minutes per game. Terry has amassed 15 or more minutes in a game just five times and hit double digits of points three times. He’s stalling in Chicago, but Toronto could give him a new lease on NBA life.
Can the Toronto Raptors fix Dalen Terry?
Raptors fans are justifiably sick of adding another 6-7 versatile defender who can’t shoot with the hope of teaching them how to become well-rounded offensive players. However, Ujiri doesn’t seem to be intent on stopping this mindset. At least Terry has more potential than most.
Terry’s defensive skills appear to have stuck around against lower-level competition when he gets extended run, and he is a great athlete for his size. Chicago clearly doesn’t have any loyalty toward Terry, and Toronto could be willing to give yet another former top pick a chance to reinvent his game.
1. Coby White
White has been linked to the Raptors for what feels like years, and the ceaseless flow of time has done little to make the fit any less appealing. White is a high-octane bench gunner for a team that needs one more big name that can give some juice to a languid second unit.
Gary Trent Jr. has been hot and cold, and Gradey Dick is going through growing pains as a 19-year-old rookie. White is likely not in a position to command a first-round pick in a trade, which could lead to Toronto snatching him up at a relative discount and getting another young player to throw on the fire.
Will Coby White finally join the Toronto Raptors?
White’s field goal percentage is down compared to last year, but he only has a nine-game sample size to work with. His scoring is higher than it was in what became a nightmare 2022-23 season, and his assist per game mark would be the second-best of his career.
The Raptors need to start planning for one of their big names (potentially two if they don’t play their cards right) bolting in free agency, with Trent being at the top of the list as far as likely flight risks go. In the same way that Trent was brought in from Portland, adding White could help stabilize Darko Rajakovic’s second unit.