Image via Getty/Ronald Cortes
The Toronto Raptors project to be one of the most flexible teams in the league ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline at 3 p.m. on Feb. 10, in a position to either be buyers or sellers depending on how it all plays out.
The Raptors’ core players have been fantastic this season and have put the team on their backs, leading them to a record of 22-22 that puts them ahead of schedule for where most people pegged them to be. And they have done all that without good health and with the worst bench in the NBA.
“We’ve got some guys that we really believe in that we’re growing with for the future—like a really good group of core guys. Those, I would say, six for sure, or seven maybe, would be guys we want to focus on,” head coach Nick Nurse said about their approach to the trade deadline. “You don’t want to do anything to disrupt that group in a huge way.”
Depending on the way the deadline shakes out—whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market, or whether one of their targets is being undervalued or one of their players is being overvalued—the Raptors are in a good position to pounce. Unlike many teams in the NBA who have already shown their cards, the Raptors are not desperate to buy or sell, and therefore they are in a good position to negotiate from.
Still, there are significant flaws in their roster, including the lack of a traditional pick-and-roll center who puts pressure on the rim on one end and protects it on the other, as well as a lack of outside shooting and shot creation off the bench. And while the Raptors being buyers would have sounded bold coming into the season, improving in even one of these areas at the trade deadline could catapult the Raptors into the playoffs and give their young core an opportunity to play meaningful basketball in April, seeing how they stack up against the Eastern Conferences’ best.
Should the Raptors choose to be buyers ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline, here are six players reported to be on the trade block that we think they should target:
The idea behind trading for a center is that while Khem Birch and Precious Achiuwa are a decent stopgap—and while the frenetic style of defence that the Raptors currently employ with a bunch of 6-foot-9 guys switching and running all over the place has utility in small doses—they likely need a center upgrade to allow them to play a more traditional defence at times, to improve their defensive rebounding, and to ultimately raise their ceiling.
Right now, the Raptors are trying to amalgamate a traditional center by sending multiple bodies to protect the rim, causing them to be one of the most foul-prone teams in the league as well as one that surrenders the second-highest percentage of corner 3s to opponents. A traditional rim protector would allow the Raptors to “stay home” on shooters and to foul less. On the other end of the floor, a better rim runner would allow them to put more pressure on the rim in the pick-and-roll, creating more space for others to operate from as defences collapse into the paint.
Myles Turner
2021-2022 season stats: 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists per game on 51/33/75 percent shooting
Turner is a 25-year-old, 6-foot-11 center that has spent the first 6.5 years of his career in Indiana, where he has had to take a back seat to fellow center Domantas Sabonis. Now, Turner wants a bigger role and the Pacers want to rebuild their team, with the reported asking price being two first round picks or a first round pick and a young player, though it might have gone down since Turner suffered a stress reaction in his foot, sidelining him past the deadline.
The Raptors would really benefit from a pick-and-roll big who puts pressure on the rim as a lob threat as well as a floor-spacing big who can effectively spot up on the perimeter, giving their versatile forwards Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes more room to operate in the paint. Turner is the rare big who provides both of those things, in the 59th percentile as a pick-and-roll finisher and a career 34.9 percent 3-point shooter on high volume. While he is not a perfect offensive player due to his inability to take advantage of mismatches or to make quick passing reads, Turner is a good fit in Toronto.
But the real selling point with Turner is the defence. Turner is one of the best rim protectors in the league, averaging 2.8 blocks per game and a 8.3 block percentage, and holding opponents to just 54.5 percent shooting at the rim. He’s also a really good rebounder who would immediately improve the Raptors 28th ranked defensive rebounding.
Turner will not be cheap, but if the Raptors can get him for a package based around Goran Dragic’s expiring contract + Malachi Flynn + a first-round pick, they should.
Jakob Poeltl
2021-2022 season stats: 12.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game on 60/0/44 percent shooting
Poeltl was drafted ninth overall by the Raptors in 2016 and spent his first two seasons in Toronto before being traded to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the Kawhi Leonard deal.
The 26-year-old has thrived in San Antonio, blossoming into one of the best two-way bigs in the league, albeit in an under-the-radar way. That’s because nothing Poeltl does is sexy, but the 7-foot-1 big man from Austria has an elite feel for the game on both ends of the floor and is always in the right position at the right time.
Despite not having an outside shot, Poeltl provides spacing in a different way: He’s a great screen setter, freeing up space for his ball-handlers to come off of, and he ranks in the 54th percentile as a pick-and-roll finisher, timing his rim runs with perfection and using his soft hands to finish 71 percent around the rim. He’s also a great cutter and understands how to find open spaces on the floor, so it’s no wonder the Spurs are +7.8 points per 100 possessions with Poeltl on the floor. Defensively, Poeltl is another elite rim protector, averaging 1.6 blocks per game and a block percentage of 4.7, with opponents shooting a similarly poor 54.2 percent at the rim against him.
As a member of the bench mob in 2017-18, Poeltl proved that he could succeed beside Siakam even without an outside shot, and while that was primarily against bench units, both Poeltl and Siakam have improved to the point where there is no reason to think the two couldn’t succeed together again.
Chris Boucher + a first-round pick works.
Richaun Holmes
2021-2022 season stats: 12.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists per game on 71/50/79 percent shooting
The Raptors passed on the opportunity to use their cap space to sign Holmes in the offseason, instead going the sign-and-trade route with Kyle Lowry for Dragic and Achiuwa, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in Holmes and his reasonable four-year, $55 million contract.
The 28-year-old Sacremento King might be the best offensive center in the mix, using his big 7-foot-0 frame to set impactful screens and his soft touch on his trademarked “push” shot to finish out of cuts and in the pick-and-roll, where he ranks in the 80th percentile as a finisher. In fact, Holmes is having an incredibly efficient season, shooting 79 percent at the rim and 58 percent in the mid range, which both rank in the 93rd percentile or better for bigs.
And while Holmes isn’t a flashy defender, averaging just 1.1 blocks per game, he has good defensive awareness and knows how to defend the pick-and-roll, with opponents shooting just 52.8 percent at the rim against him. Plus, Holmes is mobile enough to switch onto some wings and not just play drop coverage. This season, Holmes is averaging a career-high 24.2 defensive rebounding percentage, so he too could help shore up multiple problems for the Raptors.
Dragic’s expiring + Malachi Flynn + a first round pick for Holmes and Tristian Thompson’s expiring works.
On the other end of the trade spectrum is the Raptors’ need for a guard off the bench who can take some ball-handling responsibilities from the NBA’s minutes leader Fred VanVleet and also provide some much needed floor-spacing for the rest of the team.
Right now, the Raptors only have three players who can consistently knock down 3s in VanVleet, Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr., and their floor spacing is suffering as a result. Adding even one more high-volume 3-point shooter would help open up the paint immensely, and adding another trustworthy ball-handler would allow VanVleet to rest without the team being -17.1 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the bench, as they currently are.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
2021-2022 season stats: 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game on 37/31/70 percent shooting
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (NAW) is a Torontonian combo guard that has struggled in his first 2.5 seasons in New Orleans since being drafted 17th overall in 2019. And while NAW did shoot 34.7 percent from 3 on high volume last season, trading for him would be more of a long-term play for the Raptors, taking on a 23-year-old with high upside who they hope could find his stroke from 3 and help in the short and long term. Plus, NAW has familiarity with Nurse as a Team Canada senior men’s national team player this past summer, where he looked great as Canada’s most consistent player off the bench.
NAW is a downhill player with a knack for creating his own shot and getting to the rim, which is a rarity among Raptors guards. He has a tight handle and crafty finishing package, though the 3-point shot will be the swing skill for NAW, as it would allow him to play off the ball and to be more dangerous on it. At 6-foot-5 and with a plus wingspan, NAW has the tools to be a versatile and dangerous defender, but he needs to get stronger and is yet to put it all together at the NBA level. The Raptors would have to believe that they can help him do just that.
Malachi Flynn + Yuta Watanabe + a second-round pick works.
Caris LeVert
2021-2022 season stats: 18.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists per game on 45/33/80 percent shooting
LeVert is another downhill player without a consistent outside shot, although his skill set is extremely polished and he would immediately provide the Raptors with a spark plug off the bench.
The 27-year-old combo guard is not a good 3-point shooter, but his 5.0 attempts per game keep the defence honest enough to continue defending him out there (in the regular season, at least), providing some added spacing. But where LeVert really provides value to the Raptors is as a ball handler off the bench; he’s someone who can create his own advantage with a nasty first step and who can finish at the rim (66 percent), in the mid-range (42 percent), or make the right passing read to his teammates without turning the ball over (4.1 assists to 1.8 turnovers).
On the opposite end of the floor, LeVert is 6-foot-7 with the physical profile of someone who can stay in front of opposite guards and defend multiple positions, but his focus and intensity comes and goes. I would be curious to see how he looks in a Raptors uniform considering their penchant for defence.
Dragic’s expiring + a protected first-round pick could get it done. Plus, LeVert could even be flipped at next year’s trade deadline if the Raptors choose to pivot.
Eric Gordon
2021-2022 season stats: 14.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game on 51/45/74 percent shooting
At 33 years old, Gordon is on the older end of the spectrum when it comes to trade targets for the Raptors, but between his fit on the team, his contract, and the Houston Rockets’ desire to trade him, Gordon makes too much sense to ignore.
Gordon is one of the most efficient high-volume 3-point shooters in the NBA this season, hitting 45.1 percent of his 5.2 threes per game, providing the Raptors with not just another shooter, but one of the best floor spacers in the league. Plus, it gives them another guard who can handle the ball in the last few minutes of a game when things get more physical.
Gordon is also a good, strong defensive player that can stay in front of opposing guards and switch onto wings, fitting nicely into the Raptors’ defensive system.
With two years remaining on his contract (plus a third year that only becomes guaranteed if his team wins the NBA Championship), Gordon represents short-term help on a reasonable contract.
Dragic’s expiring + a protected first-round pick could get it done. And similar to LeVert, the Raptors could flip Gordon at next year’s trade deadline.