Raptors Need to Make a Move at the Trade Deadline

by
Former Writers
February 6, 2019

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Raptors Need to Make a Move at the Trade Deadline

76ers Are All In

After suffering an easy defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors last night, the Philadelphia 76ers were eager to improve.

Less than 12 hours later, Philly mortgaged their future on one of the best non-All Stars in the NBA — 26-year old forward Tobias Harris.

The cost was significant. The 76ers had to give up their 2020 1st round pick, the Miami Heat’s 2021 1st round pick, promising rookie Landry Shamet, and underrated stretch big Mike Muscala. The deal also included a couple 2nd round picks and some salary cap filler for both sides.

The Los Angeles Clippers have ostensibly given up on competing for the duration of the season. Their best player, Harris, has been shipped out. Also, their 2nd best scorer Danilo Gallinari is currently on the injured list. Now, LAC – currently the 8th seed in the loaded Western Conference — will be focusing on the 2019 free agent class to expedite their rebuilding process.

Bucks Make a Move

Still in the Eastern Conference arms race, the Milwaukee Bucks made a depth move. Disgruntled 2016 NBA 1st rounder Thon Maker was shipped off to the Detroit Pistons for inconsistent bench scorer Stanley Johnson. While not a move that really affects the Bucks long term, Johnson will increase their bench depth. Milwaukee needed an Eastern Conference playoffs retooling move to increase their competition level in the NBA.

Formerly dubbed “the Leastern Conference”, the Eastern Conference playoffs is shaping up to be the most competitive in years.

The Raptors’ Dilemma

So what do you do if you are Toronto Raptors’ general manager Masai Ujiri?

With Kawhi Leonard’s future status tenuous at best, the window is small for the Raptors’ elite status. The difficulty here is putting the Toronto Raptors in a position to compete against the very best teams in the league – without leaving the team decimated in the event of yet another premature exit from the playoffs.

24-year old Pascal Siakam is the future, and represents a significant piece that future Raptors teams could be built around. With Kyle Lowry’s $30+ million and Serge Ibaka’s $20+ million contract expiring next season, this Raptors team could look dramatically different eighteen months from now.

The question is: What will Ujiri do to maximize Leonard’s time in Toronto without jeopardizing the future cap flexibility one-and-a-half years from now?

The NBA trade deadline is tomorrow at 3 pm. Expect a flurry of activity.