Toronto Raptors: 3 reasons to stand pat at 2019 NBA Trade Deadline

The Toronto Raptors have one of the deepest rosters and one of the best records in the association, they should stand pat at the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline.

Second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 39-16 and on pace for 58 wins at the end of the season, the Toronto Raptors sure seem prime to be “buyers” at the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline. The key word emphasized in that statement is “seem.” At first glance, and taking consideration of past playoff disappointments, it is difficult to envision the Raptors standing pat at the trade deadline.

Before we discuss the reasons to why they should stand pat, a detailed explanation of the Raptors’ roster configuration and the complications for the Raptors is beautifully explained by Blake Murphy of The Athletic.

In short, the Moose-drawing analyst explains the Raptors could move smaller pieces in their roster for tax relief similarly to what they did last year when they traded away fan favorite prospect, Bruno Caboclo for Malachi Richardson. As they are currently constructed, the Raptors have the fourth-highest paid roster, diving deep into the tax.

That alone could easily be one of the reasons the team would stand pat at the trade deadline, but since that’s no fun, here are three basketball-related reasons to why the Raptors should avoid making a move.