National Basketball Association

Who should the Toronto Raptors trade for?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:16 p.m. ET

Fansided, Mustafa Noor/FanSided via Raptors Rapture

Should the Raptors get more aggressive in the trade market? Our writer says Yes, and offers up a few worthwhile trade candidates.

John Donne wrote “Therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee”. The Toronto Raptors should take heed as the clock is ticking on their championship aspirations. Kyle Lowry, arguably their best player will be a free agent this summer and there is no guarantee he will return. Kyle Lowry turns 31 in March and will demand a five-year max deal, so he will be 36 at the end of the deal. For an average NBA player, once they pass the age of 34, win shares per 48 minutes become negative . This means that they are not helping the team win games. At this point, Lowry’s contract will be a burden for the Raptors. So if they are to win a championship it needs to be in the next 2-3 years. This will not happen without a trade.

We need a true power forward

The Toronto Raptors are a top three squad in the east and have an excellent chance to make the eastern conference finals again. The most glaring issue is at power forward, where the current starting PF is Patrick Patterson. He has struggled offensively averaging 7 points a game for his career which isn’t enough for a starting PF on a contending team. The other possibility is rookie Pascal Siakam who has been productive of the bench. Yet, it is unlikely Coach Casey will trust a rookie against Lebron and the Cavaliers. Recently, Coach Casey has played Lucas Nogueira at PF with promising results. He has played very well with Kyle Lowry in the pick and roll. Lowry is shooting 44% from three point range, so defences have to respect that, leaving Nogueira with an open shot. He has made strides on the defensive end and is improving as a rim protector.

General Managers detest losing a player for free and there are a couple of players who could be traded before the deadline.

Raptors want to win, now

To trade for any of these players before the trade deadline is to send a signal to the league that you are ready to legitimately win a championship this year. Yet, the Raptors will have to give up a lot for a player who might not necessarily decide to return next year. This solves nothing, except for the fact you have traded your valuable assets away and still have the same issue at Power Forward. Yet, at some point Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri has to decide. Does he want to win a championship or admit that Toronto can never win against the Cavaliers? Be Bold Masai Ujiri, opportunities like this rarely come around twice, trade for Serge Ibaka and put the Raptors over the top.