The entire trading deadline often hinges on one team’s decisions, with a series of deals to follow. An NBA insider told us who we’ll be watching this year.
Every NBA team probably has a few different players eyeing the trade market, and the dozens of deals that accumulate at the deadline depend on which trades come first. Once a team decides to become a buyer or seller or transfer a key piece to a specific team, everything else falls into place.
At this point, we don’t quite know who that team might be this season, but an NBA insider has pegged the Toronto Raptors as the one to watch. to me Sportsnet’s Michael GrangeThe Raptors are the team everyone has been waiting for:
It seems inevitable that changes will come, with the February 9 trade deadline holding a referendum on how confident Raptors President Masai Ujiri and General Manager Bobby Webster are in their current direction.
The rest of the league is eagerly awaiting.
As one league source who has been watching the Raptors situation closely in recent weeks told me: “Toronto is the first domino. What they do will affect teams all over the league: Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta — it’s not about deals with any particular team, just That people are going to wait to see what the Raptors do before they make their move. Toronto can define the market.”
What will the Toronto Raptors do at the NBA trade deadline?
The Raptors, currently 16-21 and 12th in the Eastern Conference, are struggling and ranked 15th in offensive efficiency and 18th in defensive efficiency. It seems likely that they will make some changes but how far they will go is an open question.
The Raptors have Rookie of the Year in Scottie Barnes but several players who could fetch a hefty price at the trade deadline – Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr. OG Anunoby, Thad Young. Each of these players can be transferred for long-term value and draft picks or for more immediate help and they’ll have plenty of suitors from opposing teams.
It all depends solely on how much of their present the Raptors are willing to sell for their future.
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