The trade deadline passed yesterday afternoon without the Raptors being involved in any major moves. Some time ago, I wrote about the growing belief that the Raptors' strategy was to avoid the tax and ride out the current core, trusting GM Bobby Webster to guide the team with his decision-making.
Those reports came after the Raptors were linked to high-profile names in the market, as well as some modest trade candidates. Such names circulating included Yves Missi, Day'Ron Sharpe, and Goga Bitadze, who could have helped address the team's need for center and size depth while being relatively inexpensive options at the position.
Well, the Raptors would indeed find their frontcourt safety net in Warriors big Trayce Jackson-Davis. He's a young but offensively limited option who brings stout interior defense and athleticism, and he should fit relatively well into Toronto's system. TJD might not be the Raptors' ultimate solution to some of their other glaring issues, but he should provide help during the minutes Coach Darko finds suitable for him.
It seems likely — hopefully — that Jakob Poeltl will return to the lineup soon, while rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and standout reserve Sandro Mamukelashvili have done enough to keep their spots secure in the rotation. Therefore, bringing on Jackson-Davis makes sense when viewed from that perspective — although I’m sure many in Raptors Nation had higher hopes for their team’s acquisitions at this year's deadline.
But on the subject of some of those more intriguing, low-risk names on the relatively cheap center market — Missi, Sharpe, and Bitadze — Raptors beat reporter Josh Lewenberg provides a bit more insight into why Toronto ultimately veered away from pursuing them.
Raptors kept their first-round picks while seeking big man depth — a smart move
Lewenberg would note in an X post on February 4 : "[...] Had looked at several others including NOLA's Yves Missi, Brooklyn's Day'Ron Sharpe & Orlando's Goga Bitadze but asking price for those guys was a 1st-rounder."
Having control of your draft assets — and an abundance of them — always puts an NBA franchise in a better position. Toronto, while relatively expensive in terms of roster construction, can at least take solace in the fact that they possess their future draft capital after letting go of some key first-rounders in previous years.
While I am a bit confused by the Raptors' seemingly one foot in, one foot out strategy regarding their outlook, I can commend Bobby Webster and the rest of the front office for their rationale in hanging onto their first-rounders this time around. We've been haunted by some odd trade deadline moves that sent out first-round picks in deals that weren't necessarily the smartest decisions.
In fact, considering that this incoming trade target wasn't expected to step into a significant role based on the roster pecking order, it would be unwise to give up a first-round pick for what would largely be a tertiary option at the center spot.
As my colleague Daniel O'Connor just highlighted, TJD isn't quite the move that will send most Raptors fans into a frenzy, but he's a solid option, and it barely cost the Raptors anything. I would've preferred a more alluring name, yes, but if that came at the expense of a first-rounder — it's not a trade-off I would have wanted either. Toronto definitely thought this one through and saved their fanbase a headache in the future.