The Toronto Raptors have already bit the bullet and decided to rebuild. The trades of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are clear signals that Masai Ujiri has waived the white flag and ended any chance of competing for postseason spots with the team's established core of players.
The Raptors are building their next generation of basketball around the exploits of players like Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley. To get themselves as prepared as possible, Ujiri seems willing to listen to trade deadline calls on any veteran player on the Toronto roster.
Toronto has already been upfront in hinting they are not done making trades, as the 2024-25 roster is going to look much different than the amalgamation of ill-fitting pieces Darko Rajakovic has to meld together to form a rotation. This could be bad (or good, depending on your perspective) for the vets on the team.
Anyone who is not a stone-cold lock to return to the roster next year can be had if a team wants to give Ujiri the assets he needs to move on. Teams could be desperate, which would lead to a trio of Raptors veterans being shown the door as their time north of the border ends.
3 Toronto Raptors who won't be on the team after the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline
3. Chris Boucher
Boucher is the last player from the Raptors' championship team to stick around, but the winds of change sweeping through the organization might be enough to lead to a trade. Boucher has suitors, and his play can still be very effective in the right role on both ends of the floor.
While Boucher's minutes and per-game stats have declined this season, he's shown to still be a very capable rebounder and rim-runner when Darko Rajakovic lets him play his game. There's no such thing as too much rebounding in the NBA, and his contract status for next year could help the Raptors get some useful assets back in a swap.
Chris Boucher could be traded by the Toronto Raptors.
The rival Boston Celtics have had interest in Boucher in the past, and teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat (who rank in the bottom six in rebounds per game) might do well to at least extend some feelers out and see what the market is for the former G League star right now.
Trading Boucher would show that Ujiri's ill-fated "Vision 6-9" is dying a very public and loud death. After being stuffed with too many 6-8 power forwards over the last few years, moving Boucher and Precious Achiuwa would show that Ujiri is realizing the error of his ways.