Toronto Raptors: 3 blockbuster trades to go all in with Kawhi Leonard

2. Portland switches it up

What type of team should the Toronto Raptors be looking for as a trade partner? They should be targeting clubs that are stuck in a rut. The Portland Trail Blazers seem to be destined for playoff mediocrity. Ask Kevin Durant his thoughts about the Blazers. A roster shakeup could do them some good.

Portland finished strong last season and ended up being the 3-seed in a loaded Western Conference. Perplexingly, the Blazers got swept by the New Orleans Pelicans in the opening round of the playoffs. What is even more concerning is the way they let Rajon Rondo pick them apart in the pick-and-roll. The defense that gave up only 103 points per game in the regular season surrendered 114.5 points per game in the playoffs.

A solution to their defensive playoff struggles could be found in Toronto.

At first glance, it seems like Portland is not getting enough in return for their star shooting guard. Danny Green, however, is an All-Defensive team selection with a career average of 39.5 percent from 3. He is a wonderful complement to Damian Lillard, but cannot be traded with another player until Sept. 18 due to NBA rules.

Jusuf Nurkic‘s poor defense limited him to only 23.5 minutes per game last postseason. The addition of Ibaka provides an upgrade in both defense and spacing. Of course, Anunoby is the real prize here, as his versatility could transform Rip City into an elite defensive team.

Toronto lands a special shooter in CJ McCollum. McCollum would fit perfectly into a Nick Nurse offensive system, a scheme thoroughly explained by Jonathan Rosenberg of NBA.com:

"” Nurse is the mind behind the famous Raptors summer pickup games, where corner 3s were worth four points and midrange 2s were minus-1. His tactic worked, as Toronto took the third-most 3-point attempts per game in the league last season. This, in part, led to the Raptors ranking third in offensive rating, behind only the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.”"

Last year, 65.2 percent of McCollum’s shots came from either 0-10 feet of the hoop, or from behind the arc. He’s also a career 41 percent shooter on corner 3-pointers. That style of play could boost the Raptors from pseudo-contender to legitimate contender. Taking on Meyers Leonard‘s contract is a reasonable pill to swallow.

The Stepien rule disallows Toronto from handing over a potentially valuable 2020 pick, but offering a pick swap would abide by NBA rules. Portland could accomplish a quick, two-year rebuild while Toronto gets a player who can help them contend now or be a part of a post-Kawhi future.