Obviously, this season has not panned out for the Toronto Raptors given how many injuries they have dealt with.
Specifically to their main rotation players in Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. To not have those three on the court together stings, but given their state of a rebuild, winning is not at the forefront.
However, Toronto wants to remain a competitive team throughout this turnaround. With that trio as their building block, they are already on the right path to turn things around.
As the trade deadline slowly approaches on Feb. 6, many would expect the Raptors to be sellers. Rebuilding teams tend to sell remaining veterans for more draft assets.
Although, NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints believes the Raptors could end up being buyers are the trade deadline:
“Whether or not other teams would seriously contemplate trading for [Zach] LaVine is nothing more than hearsay at this point in conversations with league personnel. There is of course talk that the Warriors should seriously think about adding the Bulls’ scoring weapon, and other teams that have quietly been mentioned are the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans as reset plans. Masai Ujiri is always looking to buy low on high-level talents that can help the Raptors win, and the Pelicans are ready to blow things up to head in a new direction. Then again, it’s hard to imagine either team would be thrilled with LaVine’s contract given their current situations.”
Zach LaVine is a polarizing player due to how much money remains on his contract. His talent is not to be denied, but to tie up about $136 million in one player, under this new CBA is worrisome.
If Toronto does indeed become buyers, they should be looking for more frontcourt depth. Whether they decide to keep Jakob Poeltl or not, they need more reassurance at their center position.
NBA insider shares update on Bruce Brown’s trade value
A likely candidate to be moved by February’s trade deadline is Bruce Brown. However, Brown has yet to suit up this season due to a knee injury.
With that news, his trade value is in flux and it remains to be seen what teams will be interested in him. An NBA insider provided an update on those looming questions.
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