Trade deadline week is almost here for the NBA and the Toronto Raptors are set up to be active.
Toronto possesses trade chips in Bruce Brown, Chris Boucher, Kelly Olynyk and Jakob Poeltl. It remains to be seen how serious the Raptors are when it comes to actually moving off those players.
Given how the team is rebuilding at this point, one can argue they should move off all four of those players to tank for a lottery pick.
However, the Raptors have won 5 of their last 6 games which causes the front office to take a setback and perhaps look to improve the roster.
One name that has come up is New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported via Bleacher Report that Raptors president Masai Ujiri has ‘a ton of interest’ in Ingram.
Fischer mentioned that the Raptors could include the likes of Brown, Boucher and Olynyk in potential frameworks. It will also be worth monitoring the kind of draft compensation the Pelicans may want in any deal.
To have him, Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl as a starting lineup is intriguing. Although, Toronto needs to be willing to offer the 27-year-old his next contract.
That has been the holdup in trade conversations because whatever team brings Ingram in, is going to have to pay him.
Judging how the Raptors usually don’t sign star-level players in free agency, they have to be certain this is the right move.
With less than a week until the deadline, time will tell if Ujiri has a trick up his sleeve.
Toronto a team to monitor for Brandon Ingram trade
Brandon Ingram is one of the top talents expected to be dealt by Feb. 6. However, his contract and injury concerns have caused teams to stop in their tracks.
With this new rumor coming out, this is not the first time the Raptors have been linked to Ingram. Marc Stein initially reported Toronto’s interest in him.
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