After a terrible start to the NBA season, the Toronto Raptors have turned things around and in the midst of injuries and safety protocols, they find themselves 17-22 and very much back in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. While they have slid a bid in the standings over the last week or so due to some players being in health and safety protocols, this team definitely has a chance to turn things on late in the season. 

After having an All-Star for seven consecutive seasons, the Raptors did not have any of their players named to this year’s All-Star game, but they have a really solid roster that seems to be one piece away from being a top-tier team.

Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry have all continued to play at a high-level this year, but the emergence of Norman Powell, O.G. Anunoby and Chris Boucher have helped this team turn things around. Powell is one of the most underrated players in the entire league and is currently 3rd on the Raptors in scoring this season.

Outside of these six guys though, the Raptors do not have many reliable options to turn to and their frontcourt is a complete disaster. With both Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol leaving in free agency last offseason, they left a void on this Toronto roster that has not been repaired yet. This is why the Raptors could aggressively pursue another high-motor frontcourt talent at the NBA trade deadline.

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Over the last few days, some NBA trade rumors have been circulating around Celtics’ big man Tristan Thompson and the Toronto Raptors are one of the few teams that could have a significant amount of interest in the veteran center. Boston just signed him to a two-year contract this past offseason, but with Robert Williams and Daniel Theis also in their frontcourt, Thompson is dispensable for the right price. 

Could the Raptors potentially look to bolster their frontcourt by adding Tristan Thompson? Let’s take a look at what this trae scenario could eventually turn out to look like.