With the Toronto Raptors struggling through the first 27 games of the season, it seems like this team could be headed for a rebuild.
Scottie Barnes has emerged and looks like the cornerstone of the franchise to build around.
Toronto has key players who are set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2024.
Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. are three players that can help contenders come playoff time.
With the Raptors’ season slipping away, Masai Ujiri could look to blow it up.
Anunoby in particular should have a big market as team’s are always looking to add a 3-And-D skillset. Per The Atheltic’s Shams Charania he says that the Philadelphia 76ers have a level of interest in Anunoby:
“Zach LaVine, OG Anunoby, those are two names to keep an eye on as guys that Philadelphia has monitored.”@ShamsCharania on the Sixers monitoring the marketplace.
📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/exXkQINeYh
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 21, 2023
Of course, Anunoby played under Nick Nurse in Toronto so he would make sense for Philadelphia. The 76ers have three first-round draft picks they can trade and moveable contracts as well.
If Philadelphia wants to compete against the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks they may need to make a splash to bring in a third guy next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Will the Raptors trade Anunoby?
Anunoby has been in trade rumors in the past, but Toronto has been reluctant to move him. Most recently it was reported that the Raptors weren’t willing to trade Anunoby in a Damian Lillard deal.
However, with the way the Raptors season is going Ujiri might have no choice but to trade his players on expiring contracts to net some value for them. Rather than losing them for nothing just like the Fred VanVleet situation.
As trade season heats up, expect the Raptors to continue to be in the center of trade rumors.
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