The Toronto Raptors set themselves up nicely for the Scottie Barnes-led future, netting RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and three first-round picks in the Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby trades. However, Masai Ujiri is kidding himself if he thinks this roster should be set in stone.
Toronto's brutal blowout loss against Fred VanVleet and the Houston Rockets shows the issues with the general vibes in the locker room. Everyone is clearly either on edge or giving half effort due to the knowledge many of the players on this roster won't be on the team in about a week.
The players left on the roster openly admitted that the constant trade rumors surrounding Siakam and Anunoby fractured the locker room, as they never knew when the trade would actually go down. In order to get rid of some of the veterans and give this team more new blood, Ujiri needs to start wheeling and dealing as soon as possible.
The Raptors need to leave the trade deadline with this trio of players suiting up somewhere else. Failure to accomplish that goal would leave Toronto saddled with disgruntled veterans who are playing on a bad team that is openly trying to let the young guys run wild, a future that helps as few people as possible.
3 veterans the Toronto Raptors must trade immediately
3. Chris Boucher
Boucher did not get any minutes against Houston despite playing against one of the best big men in the game in Alperen Sengun with Jakob Poeltl on a minutes restriction and Jontay Porter injured. Boucher's time in Toronto seems to be up, and teams around the league will need to get in on the sweepstakes ASAP.
Boucher's numbers are declining, and he is on the wrong side of 30. Getting outplayed by two-way players (Porter) aging veterans (Thad Young) isn't a good sign, but even his limited action this season showed enough for some team out there to flip some sort of draft capital over to Toronto.
Chris Boucher could be traded by the Toronto Raptors.
The Celtics have reportedly been eyeing Boucher for some time, and the West has so many frontcourt injuries that one of their top teams wouldn't be ridiculed if they rolled the dice on Boucher for what seems like a very reasonable price. Ujiri seems willing to look past the 2019 nostalgia lately.
Trading Boucher would officially be the final nail in the coffin for the lone Raptors team in franchise history to win a championship, but the time is right for a facelift. Toronto might need to take off the nostalgia glasses, as Boucher can still get something of value in a trade.
2. Otto Porter Jr.
Porter has been completely excommunicated from the rotation, as the combination of his own poor play, constant injuries, and Darko Rajakovic's desire to give rotation minutes to youngsters like Gradey Dick and Jordan Nwora makes it very difficult for him to really stand out.
Porter has played in just 23 games over the last two seasons, only once hitting double digits in points and never topping six points in any of his performances last year. He helped the Golden State Warriors win a championship, however. That might be enough for some team to maybe part with a late second-round pick for him.
The Toronto Raptors could trade Otto Porter Jr.
Porter still has his 3-point shot and his versatility, and that might be enough in his favor to earn him one more shot from a team that is more willing to let him fight through injuries. Ujiri would be making this move as both a chance to get something back and a chance to free open a roster spot.
The Raptors would have an easier path to giving Jontay Porter a full-time NBA contract if they can open up a roster spot by parting with OPJ. His Raptors career just hasn't worked out, but he could be a prime candidate to get his old groove back after a trade to a contender.
1. Bruce Brown
While it could be reasonably argued that trading Gary Trent Jr. is the better move due to Brown's more diverse skillset, the combination of Trent's impending free agency and Brown's high asking price might make a move for the recent NBA champion more appealing than the 24-year-old sniper.
The Knicks and Lakers have registered varying degrees of interest in Brown's services, though they appear to be unwilling to meet this price. Toronto must be banking on teams eventually getting so desperate in a slow-moving trade market that they eventually put up the assets needed to nab him.
The Toronto Raptors could decide to trade Bruce Brown.
Brown is never going to be a transformative scorer, but the fact he does just about everything at an average or above-average level on the court. His versatility is truly uncommon, as is his finishing at the rim for a 6-4 forward. His Nuggets stint proves he can adapt to a role on a championship team.
Brown could be a solid role player for the Raptors both this year and the next, but Ujiri is likely scared of building a team around Barnes with a $23 million team option for an average offensive player. All parties would likely be better off if Brown gets booted out of town and onto a better team.