PORTLAND, ORE. — To start their seven-game Western conference road trip, the Raptors are playing with an urgency that, if present all year, would probably have them in a very different position 10 days away from the trade deadline.
They are not playing perfect basketball, but there is a level of energy and connectivity that surely would have flipped a few results earlier in the season.
“It’s all about timing. It’s the maturation process of a team,” said Fred VanVleet, one of the few Raptors playing season-best basketball right now. “We absolutely have a lot of young guys on this roster. For better or for worse, you can’t really put a timer on that, whenever it’s gonna happen. But I think in the last couple of weeks it’s been coming together and we’re growing and getting better. Like I said the other day, it’s not too late.”
That’s up for debate. With Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster watching on, the Raptors have gone 2-1 to start the trip, with visits against the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies remaining. It isn’t the most daunting schedule possible, but at 23-28, the Raptors are still 12th in the Eastern Conference, sporting the league’s sixth-worst record. (That could change in a hurry: Before Sunday’s play, 18 teams had between 23-28 wins. The Raptors just happen to be at the bottom of the pile.)
After the trip, the Raptors will have three-plus days and just one more game before the deadline. As of now, there are four possible paths the Raptors could take. This is an attempt to outline them.
Note: You will see a bunch of fake trades below. These are not sourced reports. They are not even rumours. They are just semi-realistic trades meant to show where the Raptors might find themselves, depending on which path they take.
More Raptors at the trade deadline content: Hollinger and Koreen Trade tiers The Fred VanVleet conundrum | Sellers, part one | Sellers, part two
Do nothing
The move(s)
To Toronto: Nobody, nothing
To other team: Nobody, nothing
The rationale: VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. are all good players. This core has shown signs that it can play very well together, even if that mostly happened last year. Even if paying all of them on their next contracts might be cost-prohibitive, the Raptors could believe the trade market for VanVleet or Trent is not juicy enough to do something productive now. Maybe the sign-and-trade market in the summer will yield similar returns, or maybe they can move enough players signed through at least next year (Chris Boucher, Khem Birch, Otto Porter Jr.) to be able to re-sign both. This strategy is likely contingent on the Raptors having a strong remainder of their trip. The Raptors could always make a move to alter the periphery of the roster in this scenario, maybe even adding a depth piece at a low cost.
What’s next: Monitor the results through the rest of the month. If they haven’t made a real push up the standings, rest some players down the stretch. Explore the trade market more thoroughly around the draft with your current players, and be willing partners with your free agents in the summer.
Core going forward: VanVleet, Siakam, Anunoby, Trent, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa, 2023 first-round pick
Trade a player on an expiring contract, hold until the summer
The move(s)
To Clippers: VanVleet, Khem Birch
To Raptors: Reggie Jackson, Robert Covington, Terance Mann, 2025 second-round pick (Clippers)
The rationale: My bet here is VanVleet has a tiny bit more value on the trade market, even if Trent might have more potential suitors because of his age. VanVleet has proven to be a heavy-minute player on multiple contending teams, and that should be attractive to teams with actual championship aspirations. He is also rounding into form. The Clippers’ point guard situation has been horrendous, and VanVleet subbing in for Jackson (or John Wall or an out-of-position Terance Mann) is a huge upgrade. The Raptors probably look to move Covington, who is no higher than fifth on the Clippers’ depth charts of big forwards/not quite centers, elsewhere. I don’t think the Clippers would trade both a first-round pick and Mann, so I’m taking the player on a reasonable contract.
What’s next: The Raptors aggressively try to re-sign Trent in the offseason, explore the market for Covington, and re-engage with teams on Siakam and Anunoby when they know about their own draft position.
Core going forward: Siakam, Anunoby, Trent, Barnes, Achiuwa, Mann, 2023 lottery pick
Reggie Jackson. (Alonzo Adams/USA Today)
Shake it up
The move(s)
To Hawks: Anunoby, Thaddeus Young
To Raptors: John Collins, Frank Kaminsky, 2023 first-round pick (Hawks), lottery-protected 2024 first-round pick (via Kings, sliding protections in 2025, 2026)
To Grizzlies: Trent
To Raptors: Zaire Williams, Danny Green
The rationale: The Raptors broke up their trio of multi-skilled forwards but kept the best one at the moment (Siakam) and for the long-term (Barnes). In the trade for Trent, they got Williams, a long, skinny wing who could grow into a plus-defender. He has also shown a willingness to shoot 3s, although he hasn’t had success on that front. He is the long-term player.
Collins isn’t the rim-protecting force they’d covet, but a) he hasn’t needed to do that recently in Atlanta next to Clint Capela; b) Achiuwa’s presence means that it’s not as glaring of a need for the Raptors. Collins is having a terrible shooting year, but he is a 35.9-percent shooter from 3 for his career, as well as a screen-and-roll threat. You keep VanVleet, the soul of the team, and can try a few more things defensively. (Having already traded so many picks for Dejounte Murray, the Hawks might not want to trade more for Anunoby, but there’s always the option of trading Trae Young for a lot of picks if things don’t work.)
What’s next: The Raptors would need to re-sign VanVleet, or at least get something back for him in an offseason sign-and-trade. Beyond that, they would likely look to extend Siakam’s contract this offseason, and look for shooters both in the draft and on the cheap in free agency.
Core going forward: VanVleet, Siakam, Collins, Williams, Barnes, Achiuwa, 2023 lottery pick
John Collins played against the Toronto Raptors earlier this year. (John E. Sokolowski/USA Today)
Blow it up
The move(s)
To Suns: Siakam
To Raptors: Deandre Ayton, Torrey Craig, 2023, 2025, 2027 first-round picks, rights to 2026 pick swap (all Suns)
To Knicks: Anunoby
To Raptors: Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, two 2023 first-round picks (Knicks, Mavericks), 2025 first-round pick (Knicks)
To Lakers: VanVleet
To Raptors: Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, Max Christie, 2027 first-round pick (Lakers)
The rationale: This is the ultimate step-back move. The Raptors would be giving up on the idea of this team, getting as many draft picks as possible for their three most valuable players (not-Barnes division) and hurting their chances to win in the short and medium terms in the process. In Ayton, Quickley and Christie, the Raptors are getting players who could be part of the future. Really, though, this move would be about the seven first-round picks (and a pick swap) that they would be getting for Siakam, Anunoby and VanVleet. On the court, Barnes and Achiuwa get to do their thing, pretty much free of consequences.
What’s next: Send your best scouts to all the hottest international, collegiate and G League Ignite games. Try to re-sign Trent in the offseason. Send more scouts to more games. Maybe check the trade market on Ayton in the summer, but don’t talk about that publicly. Hire more scouts and send them to even more games.
Core going forward: Barnes, Trent, Achiuwa, Ayton, 2023 lottery pick, a whole bunch of future first-round picks
(Top photo of Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr.: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
.