Why This Trade Would Benefit The Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors entered the season as a win-now team but they have not looked like that so far. Last season, they finished as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and that was expected once again. During the offseason, Toronto was able to ink Fred VanVleet but lost some key pieces that are proving to have a big effect on the lineup.
Both Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol ended up leaving in free agency. This has had a bigger impact than expected. The Raptors are relying on their backcourt. VanVleet leads the team with 20.4 points per game while Lowry is still playing at a high level with 17.4 points and shooting 36.2% from three-point range.
The balance is not there for Toronto early on. They could be looking to add another star to the lineup in hopes of moving up the standings. This is something they will have to do to keep up with teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
Masai Ujiri is one of the best in the NBA at building a winner. He has some work to do if he wants to get the Raptors back to championship level but it can be done quickly with a player like Beal.
