Toronto Raptors: NBA trade deadline winners and losers

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors waves to his family during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Amalie Arena on January 29, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. /

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Toronto Raptors, NBA trade deadline Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images /

Winner: Future depth

The Raptors acquired two second-round draft picks at the deadline. One was in exchange for Terence Davis (this year) and one was in exchange for Matt Thomas (a future pick).

During his three seasons with the Raptors, Thomas never revealed himself to be a future frontline player off the bench. This season, he was averaging 2.7 points per game in just 7.4 minutes off the bench prior to the trade. He was clearly an expendable player.

Davis was much more promising, averaging 7.5 points as an undrafted rookie and 7.1 points during the strange 2019-20 season. But he wasn’t getting any better, down to 6.9 points per game before his trade this season.

Additionally, a dark specter followed Davis. He was arrested in October after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. The charges were reportedly later dropped, but the clouds have continued to follow the guard.

The Raptors got all they could out of those two players. It was simply time to part ways with both of them and search for something new.

Toronto hasn’t had much success with second-round draft picks, with the most recent one to truly hit being P.J. Tucker back in 2006, well before the current regime was in place. But draft picks are just darts thrown at a target anyways and it never hurts to have a few extra darts to throw, especially for a team that has made just two second-round selections in the last six years.

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