The Toronto Raptors might be a busy team as trade season begins.
The unofficial start of trade season is on Dec. 15. That’s when free agents who signed with their teams in the NBA offseason are officially eligible to be traded.
The Raptors have two players in Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby who will receive a lot of interest from teams trying to contend.
Toronto is 10-14 and they have been struggling lately. It appears sooner or later they will enter a rebuild around Scottie Barnes.
Former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers believes the Raptors are headed towards a rebuild. He was on The Bill Simmons Podcast and weighed in on Toronto’s situation:
“I don’t think they mind where they are right now. I think Toronto did this because they are going to rebuild. In my opinion they will move at least one or maybe both guys [Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby]. But you know Masai [Ujiri] he’s going to hold it close and he’s going to wait until the last second and he’s going to squeeze every bit of juice out of that orange that he can get, that’s what he does…I don’t think Masai is upset with what’s going on…I think he just wants value and he’s going to get it.”
If the Raptors are going to trade Siakam and/or Anunoby, Ujiri will not rush into any deal until he feels the value is there.
However, Ujiri might have to take a deal that comes his way because if he waits too long he can potentially lose both Anunoby and Siakam for nothing when they hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
Raptors rebuild seems inevitable
If the Raptors do finally decide to rebuild they have their main building block in Barnes.
He has been playing very well this season and has shown flashes of being a star. Barnes should make the All-Star team this season if he keeps up his play.
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