Recent NBA rumors have presented the Toronto Raptors as a potential trade target for several NBA teams. With ESPN’s Zach Lowe reporting on the matter, he mentioned that rival executives are keeping tabs on Toronto’s current situation before inquiring about trades.
The Toronto Raptors have been one of the most consistent teams in the past few years. Since winning the NBA title in 2019, the Raptors have remained perennial playoff contenders.
With players such as Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet on their roster, Toronto has featured a fairly potent roster. Pairing this with the coaching abilities of Nick Nurse, the Raptors present themselves as a very competitive unit. While this aspect of the team is impressive, it is also part of the problem.
The Toronto Raptors have been very consistent. However, they don’t present themselves as title contenders in the slightest. Although the players on the roster garner a lot of attention for their talent, the team itself has not threatened to be a contender.
This has also been reflected in their records. Coming off a loss against the Orlando Magic on Friday, the Raptors fell to 13-13 on the season. While .500 is impressive for some teams, Toronto may not be satisfied with this kind of stability. Additionally, this stability may also present more concerns for the team moving forward.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that a lot of teams have shown interest in Toronto’s assets. While considering their current position, Lowe reported:
“Rival executives are watching Toronto closely, bracing for fireworks if the Raptors are hovering around .500 in two months… Will Masai Ujiri stick with a middle-of-the-road team? Does Fred VanVleet fit their vision? Can [Scottie] Barnes, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam fit long-term?”
Lowe raised some interesting points in his report. As Toronto aren’t in a position to contend for a title on paper, the analyst suggested that the team may consider heading in a different direction.
The Raptors were already involved in trade rumors in the offseason. While some of these had Kevin Durant and Scottie Barnes linked in a trade along with other pieces as well, Toronto rejected any offers that involved Barnes.
However, Zach Lowe raised some important questions regarding the players and the way they fit into the team’s plans for the future. Should the team stagnate around .500 for the next few months, perhaps some changes may be in order in Toronto.
The Toronto Raptors are in need of a change
The Toronto Raptors are in a bit of an odd situation as a team. While they aren’t losing a whole lot of games, they aren’t exactly winning many either. A 13-13 record is quite solid. But it does nothing when championship aspirations are taken into consideration.
As an offensive unit, Toronto remains a mediocre team as they rank 15th in offensive rating. However, with a top 10 defensive rating, the team still has something positive working in their favor.
The pair of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby have also been playing fairly well. As Siakam notches an average of 25.3 points per game, Anunoby follows up with 19.0 points per game. Both play a valuable part as two-way players.
The Toronto Raptors have an awkward situation on their hands. While they are playing good basketball, it is not enough to present them as a team that can make a deep playoff run.
Considering the underwhelming output from Scottie Barnes as well, Raptors president Masai Ujiri may have some important assessments to make.
Read: “He’s betting on himself to make All-NBA again and look at one of those $200 million contracts” – NBA analyst credits Raptors’ win to Pascal Siakam, speculates him leaving Raptors next season
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