Raptors sent a message by standing pat at trade deadline
While the Miami Heat made moves at the NBA trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors did nothing, showing faith in their current core.
This year’s NBA trade deadline was full of exciting moves, yet the Toronto Raptors seemingly wanted no part of it.
Perhaps they were distracted by the turmoil in the New York Knicks‘ front office, where it seemed a play was going to be made for president Masai Ujiri. That possibility came and went quickly, though, like the trade deadline itself.
Ujiri has a history of pulling off deadline moves, none more famous than the one last season that netted Toronto center Marc Gasol. Giving up Jonas Valanciunas and others to the Memphis Grizzlies proved well worth the risk when the Raptors hoisted their first championship trophy at the end of the year.
Yet this year, the team did zilch. Nada. Nothing. What gives?
While Toronto doesn’t have the talent they had during their title run – Kawhi Leonard is not walking through the Scotiabank Arena doors anytime soon – they’re performing much better than expected this season.
The team now has a franchise-record 14-game winning streak following their heart-stopping win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. At 39-14, the Raptors lead the Atlantic Division and are a game ahead of the Boston Celtics in the loss column for the Eastern Conference’s second seed (nobody is catching the Milwaukee Bucks at this point).
The truth is, we may not have even seen the best version of this year’s Toronto Raptors yet. Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka and Gasol have all missed at least ten games. Norman Powell is sidelined indefinitely with a fractured finger. When everybody is healthy, Toronto can be almost as scary as they were last year.
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They could’ve mortgaged off future picks, but those assets could become important down the line if Toronto decides to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo in the summer of 2021. They also didn’t want to part ways with a young player with potential to acquire someone more established – losing OG Anunoby in a trade simply wasn’t an option.
At the end of the day, however, it boils down to how well the Raptors are playing. Siakam was supposed to take the next step in his development this season and he did, becoming an All-Star for the first time in his career. Lowry was supposed to finally show his age and he didn’t, remaining an All-Star for yet another season. VanVleet has emerged as a potential star in the making, a possible partner for Siakam for years to come. Undrafted guard Terence Davis has been a stolen gem, averaging 7.9 points per game off the bench.
Why mess with a good thing?
Time will be the ultimate arbiter of Toronto’s decision to stand pat, but it’s probably a win-win for them regardless. Either they make it far in the playoffs and exceed expectations, or they crash out early and point to signs of development that would’ve been hindered with rash decisions at the deadline.
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For now, the track record suggests trusting in Toronto’s front office is the right decision.