They were announced as one of the main leaders of the 2023 trade deadline in the NBA, but nothing came of it. The Raptors have hardly moved and retain their backbone for the end of the season. For the best or for the worst ?
Apart from Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes, the entire Toronto squad was likely to pack up at any moment. Given the current season in Toronto, currently 10th in the East with 26 wins for 30 losses, we hesitated to smash the “reconstruction” button in Masai Ujiri’s office in order to start from a blank page and balance a season not compromised either, but not so well on board as that. The solicitations around Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr. were numerous, but ultimately, none of these players will leave Canada at the end of this trade deadline. The only reinforcement for the second half of the season is Jakob Poeltl, former home, who showed great things in the Spurs slump but probably won’t be enough to get the Raptors off the ground. It’s not necessarily for lack of trying, but the front office of the Raptors was obviously not convincing enough when concluding the negotiations.
The Toronto Raptors wanted Terance Mann in a deal for Fred VanVleet, but the Clippers refused, per @ZachLowe_NBA
(h/t @TopBallCoverage ) pic.twitter.com/anIhuJzbzg
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) February 9, 2023
The Raptors wanted Jonathan Kuminga, others and picks for OG Anunoby, per @CjHolmes22 pic.twitter.com/CvsZrw5HBB
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) February 9, 2023
Too high demands for his players, that’s what Masai Ujiri probably came up against during this day of negotiations. But not only, because the suitors were not lacking for the Raptors players. OG Anunoby was targeted by the Warriors but also by the Grizzlies, who saw him as their regular defender. Fred VanVleet interested the Clippers who needed a point guard who knew how to attack, and Gary Trent Jr. could also have strengthened a team looking for reinforcements on his bench. On the Toronto side, we were looking for young elements to rebuild slowly and why not involve Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson on a misunderstanding, but none of that happened. The backbone of the franchise is therefore intact, but the ass between two chairs too. Swing everything while waiting for the Draft at the risk of ending up with a choice below expectations? Trying to grab a place in the Playoffs before being dismembered in the first round by a contender from the East? The position is quite bastard, this deadline was also.
It’s a daring bet that we are making the Raptors during this NBA trade deadline 2023. Not changing things in a season in the beautiful soft underbelly of the NBA is risky, but Masai Ujiri may know what he does. See you in April to see, already, a little clearer.