The Toronto Raptors could be major players at the NBA trade deadline.
The team is 9-13 and if they continue to struggle they could look to make some significant changes.
Two players who will attract a lot of attention are Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby.
If the Raptors want to commit to a rebuild around Scottie Barnes it would make sense to try and get a big return for their key players.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix , who was speaking on a recent episode of “The Crossover” podcast, the Miami Heat are a team that could have interest in Pascal Siakam or O.G. Anunoby:
“I would expect (the Miami Heat) to be aggressive. Maybe that means a Pascal Siakam. Maybe that means an O.G. Anunoby. That’s someone I don’t think they’d hesitate to pull the trigger on because you could resign those guys if you’re Miami.”
Siakam is in the final year of his contract. He will become and unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024. Meanwhile, Anunoby has a player option on his deal for next season, which he is widely expected to decline.
Toronto is unlikely to retain both players. Therefore they could look to trade one or both so they don’t lose them for nothing.
The Raptors lost Fred VanVleet for nothing in free agency to the Houston Rockets this past summer and having a repeat of that would truly be a disaster.
The Heat came up shot in the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, so they could be aggressive at the deadline to try and add a piece to help them go on another NBA Finals run.
Adding Siakam or Anunoby to team up with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler is an intriguing idea for the Heat.
Will the Raptors trade Siakam or Anunoby?
There is still time for Toronto to turn their season around but they need to act fast.
If they don’t figure things out soon, the Raptors will likely need to make a big trade to shake things up.
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