The Toronto Raptors have yet to really find their groove during the 2022-23 NBA season thus far. They are currently 12-12 on the season and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. After finishing in fifth place last season, this could certainly be seen as a disappointment thus far.
Part of the reason that there have been some struggles is that Toronto has dealt with some players being in and out of the lineup. Pascal Siakam has already missed 10 games and Fred VanVleet has missed six. Precious Achiuwa, who emerged as a key piece of the bench near the end of the 2021-22 campaign and postseason, has played in only 12 games.
Better health would certainly help the Raptors turn things around. A change in their roster makeup could also lead to better results on the court. Toronto plays an untraditional lineup as they don’t have a true center as part of their regular rotation. The closest that they have to a traditional big man is Khem Birch, who has played 13 games and averages only seven minutes per game.
That is something the front office could look to address, especially if they want to make some noise in the postseason. While Nick Nurse has done a wonderful job creating a game plan with the roster that he has, the limitations were clear when the Philadelphia 76ers hammered them in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Toronto Raptors Updates
If the Raptors do want to swing a trade, they have the pieces to do so. They were mentioned as a possible landing spot for Kevin Durant before he rescinded his trade request and were loosely connected to Donovan Mitchell before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Two names to keep an eye on, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, are Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby.
“The two most notable Raptors players who could be mentioned in trade rumors this season are Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby should Toronto explore the possibility of adding a traditional center or making a blockbuster upgrade at shooting guard.”
Trent is an explosive scorer on the wing and has a player option for the 2023-24 season. If Toronto doesn’t believe it will sign him to a more lucrative long-term deal, exploring his trade market makes sense so that they can flip him into some assets instead of losing him without compensation in free agency.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Toronto Raptors Updates
Anunoby was reportedly unhappy with his role on the Raptors early in the offseason and was on the trade block. While the Raptors turned away any overtures and didn’t explicitly put him on the market, that hasn’t stopped teams from calling about his availability. He is the prototypical two-way player that teams in the NBA want to build their rosters around.
Trading away either of them could also be monetarily driven. The Raptors could cross over into the luxury tax next season if they sign Trent and VanVleet to new deals in the offseason with raises. If that isn’t something they are willing to do, they will be motivated to make a trade involving at least one, if not both of, Trent and Anunoby to upgrade the roster.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Toronto Raptors Updates
The Indiana Pacers, with Myles Turner, or the San Antonio Spurs, with Jakob Poeltl, would make sense as trade partners for the Raptors. Based on their game plan, Turner would likely be the better fit with his perimeter skill set.
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