The Toronto Raptors are not atop anyone's list of Giannis Antetokounmpo trade suitors. They have a similar player to Giannis in rising star Scottie Barnes, and a roster full of expensive players or middling prospects that won't be enough to grease the wheels on a deal with Milwaukee for the Greek superstar.
That doesn't mean that the Raptors cannot be a part of the chaos surrounding Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, however. Just as Barnes and Giannis are similar, so the ideal center to put next to them is a similar archetype, a 3-point bombing, rim-protecting 5 who allows non-shooting, playmaking 4s to maximize their impact.
The Bucks have such a player in Myles Turner, and the Raptors need such a player. If Antetokounmpo is truly forcing his way out of Milwaukee, that could shake loose other fruit from the tree -- and the Raptors could swoop in and take Turner for themselves.
Toronto should try to trade for Myles Turner
While it's somewhat of a fool's errand to confidently predict what is going to happen with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, it does seem like a threshold has been crossed. Whether it's at the Trade Deadlne this season or in the offseason, the marriage of superstar and team appears to be over. The Bucks are going to trade Giannis.
The where is important for the league as a whole, but somewhat less important for the Raptors and their primary interest in the situation. As noted above, if the Bucks have concluded that their time with Giannis is over -- whether he is traded now or later -- they could begin selling their veteran pieces to the highest bidder and embrace a rebuild.
Doing so now, rather than in the summer, allows them to be even worse this season and maximize their own first-round pick, currently slated to be in the 7-10 range. Ensuring it's more like 6 or 7 rather than 10 or 11 would be an important move as they try to build a new young core for the post-Giannis era.
If they are open to offers for Turner, it would behoove the Raptors to push to the front of the line. They desperately need to upgrade the center position; Jakob Poeltl is injured and declining, and he was never an ideal fit alongside Scottie Barnes anyway. Having a stretch big would be a dream. Backup Sandro Mamukelashvili has shown the value of that, but he is a pushover on defense. Turner would bring real chops on that end.
The problem for Toronto in finding a center upgrade is that they would ideally want to trade Poeltl in the deal, and few teams are prepared to take on his onerous future salary. If the Bucks were entering a multi-year rebuild, however, they would be less concerned with the future money and perhaps open to rehabilitating his value over the next couple of seasons.
Toronto would need to incentivize the Bucks to take on Poeltl, of course, but it may be less of a hurdle for Milwaukee than for most other teams. A framework of Poeltl, Ja'Kobe Walter and a first-round pick is a starting point that could work for both sides.
Myles Turner and Scottie Barnes would be a powerful combination in the frontcourt. Turner is not the same defensive force that he once was, but he is still above-average as a paint protector, and his comfort level shooting from 3-point range will open up the paint for both Barnes and Brandon Ingram.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is not coming to Toronto. His teammate might be, however, and would be a dream acquisition for the Raptors this season. Myles Turner to the Raptors is creeping closer and closer.