Toronto Raptors: 3 possible 2021 NBA trade deadline targets

3. Raptors trade target: JaVale McGee

The Raptors’ number one target should be JaVale McGee. This isn’t a sexy name like Andre Drummond or Bradley Beal but McGee would substantially help the Raptors going forward this season.

The trade would help the Raptors in the two key areas that need improvement. Firstly, McGee would immediately become the Raptors’ best rim-protector (sorry Chris Boucher).

We saw this best with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. McGee was the center for the first three quarters and then would be subbed out for the small-ball equivalences of Draymond Green and Anthony Davis respectively.

This role would suit the Raptors perfectly as Nick Nurse has experimented (successfully) with a small-ball lineup this season of Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam – which is a plus 11.3 in a sample of 106 possessions per Cleaning the Glass.

The Raptors have struggled on the glass all season, they have the fourth-worst rebounding rate and their leading rebounder is Siakam with 7.5 per game. All this while their projected starting center Aron Baynes is getting outrebounded by Lowry by 0.1 per game.

McGee this season with the Cleveland Cavaliers is averaging 5.1 rebounds in only 15.2 minutes, his per 36 minutes average is 12.2 rebounds per game.

Adding McGee would also give VanVleet and Lowry a real rim running pick and roll threat. The Raptors half-court offense ranks 12th per synergy, the half-court offense has been productive but McGee would improve the diversity of the offense (and defense).

Baynes can barely jump over a phone book at this point of his career and Boucher can be physically maneuvered in the air to disrupted a lob. McGee is still a vertical threat and at a true seven-foot-tall, he can outreach, out jump, and outmuscle most opposing bigs in the pick and roll.

The last reason to trade for McGee is rim intimidation and protection. McGee has always been a shot blocker, this season he is averaging 1.2 blocks per game (per 36 minutes is 2.9 blocks per game), and shot altering is something the Raptors lack.

Marc Gasol is one of the masters of altering shots and that has been sorely missed this season. The Raptors allow the 10th best field goal percentage within less than five feet of the basket, compared to last season where they ranked third-worst in the same statistic.

McGee’s athleticism and wingspan allow him to be one of the league premier shot blockers and would be a significant upgrade over Aron Baynes (who averages 0.3 blocks per game).

The trade would have to match McGee’s salary of $4.2 Million so Baynes’ $7 million takes the Cavs over the tax so it would likely be a salary swap for Patrick McCaw’s $4 million, plus assets.