The Toronto Raptors might have a busy couple of weeks ramping up, especially with the impending trade deadline set to pass come February 6, where they're expected to be huge players in the mix.
The front office will need to grapple with their next steps regarding the roster, including the pool of veterans deemed expendable this season, those sticking around for the interim, and the hodgepodge of young talent for the rebuild ahead.
When it comes to top-end Raptors, franchise forward Scottie Barnes is undoubtedly the team's ray of sunshine. While he may not be the ideal candidate to run the offense as the first option, his presence and dynamic skillset is crucial for their future success. For those reasons, Barnes been mentioned in a previous article as the most clear-cut Raptors "untouchable" (a term given to players off-limits in trade talks, viewed in high regard).
Moreover, a new piece courtesy of Raptors columnist Michael Grange of Sportsnet has provided a little more context into the team's outlook regarding talent, as they hold a favorable position in the NBA trade landscape.
Here is an excerpt from Grange's piece which mentions another talented young player whom the Raptors officials deem an integral part of their future:
"The message from league sources is the Raptors remain fully committed to a rebuild featuring fourth-year wing Scottie Barnes as a cornerstone, and they’ve seen enough from second-year guard Gradey Dick to convince them that the 21-year-old is a long-term fit. But after that, they don’t view anyone on the roster as untouchable, which is as you might expect on a team that has won 20 games in their past 84 starts going back to the Pascal Siakam trade this time last season."Michael Grange, January 23, 2025
Knowing there are credible developments to suggest Dick's presence is a long-term fit can help ease the hearts of those who may have been getting a bit unsure of his stock, especially as the former Kansas product seemed to hit a roadblock of late.
Gradey Dick viewed as an untouchable asset for Toronto Raptors
Dick's strong play early on undoubtedly sold the Raptors' front office tenfold to what was already a solid late campaign to his rookie year. A 21-year-old is bound to experience growing pains in their NBA career, but it wasn't anything to suggest he needed to be shipped off elsewhere stat; rather, it was just a call to see more consistency out of the Raptors' talented shooter.
So, it’s Barnes and Dick at the helm, then, huh? Where does that leave hometown hero RJ Barrett and the talented, yet very injury-prone Immanuel Quickley?
Go read that middle part of the Grange excerpt again: "But after that, they don't view anyone on the roster as untouchable..."
They're stand-up gentlemen for this Raptors roster, sure, but this Grange report suggests they could head out of Toronto's door... for the right price, of course (don't underestimate the bargaining power of one, Masai Ujiri).
It's highly doubtful they'll actually pull the trigger on disbanding the "BBQ" (Barnes, Barrett, Quickley) trio this soon, but don't get your hopes up on it lasting forever either. Perhaps the front office will explore leveraging one of Barrett or Quickley, or heck, even both, come draft night or the offseason?
But that's still a ways to go; for now, the Raptors will need to tackle trade deadline housekeeping moves. Thanks to Michael Grange, the Raptors community now knows Gradey Dick will likely be committed to the franchise's entire rebuild period until they return to the playoff promised land once again.