Coming into the 2021-22 NBA season, not a lot was expected of the Toronto Raptors. They had just watched franchise icon Kyle Lowry depart in free agency, landing with the Miami Heat via sign-and-trade. It was the third consecutive offseason that the Raptors had seen major pieces of their rotation leave and expectations were pretty low.
They were picking fourth in the 2021 NBA Draft and Goran Dragic’s response to landing with the Raptors as part of that sign-and-trade shed some light on how they were perceived around the league. But, just like previous times, they were overlooked, Toronto surprised a lot of people.
The Raptors finished fifth in the Eastern Conference as Nick Nurse did a wonderful job getting the most out of what he had to work with on the roster. This is a talented team that should continue making strides during the upcoming season as their younger players take their game to the next level.
Toronto could elect to ride this out and let natural progression take over. No one would blame them if they decided to stay pat and not swing a big move. But, there is certainly a chance that the Raptors see an opportunity to plug a hole on the roster and make a blockbuster trade.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: This Pacers-Raptors Trade Swaps Myles Turner, OG Anunoby
There has reportedly been some unrest among players on the roster, such as OG Anunoby being unhappy with his role. He could be expendable and used as the centerpiece of a deal with Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes emerging so quickly.
Who could Toronto set its sights on? Here are three dream trade targets for the organization during the 2022 NBA offseason.
