The Toronto Raptors could wind up being busy before the trade deadline on Feb. 6
They have many trade candidates on their roster who they could try and move.
Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, Chris Boucher and Davion Mitchell along with Jakob Poeltl have come up the most in trade rumors this season.
Brown, Boucher and Mitchell are on expiring deals, while Olynyk and Poeltl are valuable veteran big men who could help a contender.
With these names in the rumor mill, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange talked about their value going into the final two weeks before the deadline:
“Each of Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, Chris Boucher and Mitchell are valued with second-round picks of varying quality, but they have at least shown that they are healthy and rounding into form, with all of the veterans popping off for strong performances in the past couple of weeks.”
As for Poeltl, it seems like the Raptors won’t trade him, but things could change this summer if the Raptors don’t land an NBA-ready draft prospect, per Grange:
“There’s mixed reactions around the league about whether Jakob Poeltl would command a protected first-round pick and if the Raptors don’t get one — and keep in mind the market for starter-level centres is a crowded one at the moment, with Nikola Vucevic, Jonas Valanciunas, DeAndre Ayton and Robert Williams III offering a limited field of buyers different options, abilities and price points — the sense is they are willing to hang on to the reliable veteran centre, who could be a useful piece if the Raptors land consensus No. 1 Cooper Flagg in the draft and are ready to compete sooner than later.
If the Raptors end up drafting someone considered less NBA-ready, the timeline to move Poeltl — who will likely be seeking an extension as he heads into the walk year of his deal — could shift to the summer.”
The likeliest trade candidates at the moment appear to be Brown and Boucher with Olynyk and Mitchell in that discussion as well.
With the Raptors winning 4 of their last 5 games and their veterans playing well the time is now for them to get busy with trades. With how things are shaping up they could even wind up being major players in helping facilitate a Jimmy Butler trade.
Expect the Raptors to be busy this trade season, one way or another.
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