5 Moves the Raptors Should Consider Before the NBA Trade Deadline

How far is Masai Ujiri willing to go to give the Raptors the best shot at a repeat?

masai raptors trade deadline
Image via Getty/Steve Russell/Toronto Star
masai raptors trade deadline

The Toronto Raptors weren’t supposed to be this good. Slaughtered by injuries across the championship core, there was every chance the team could have sank and been forced into the role of sellers at the trade deadline.

After all, Marc Gasol is turning 35 and on an expiring contract, soon-to-be 34-year-old Kyle Lowry was deemed to be more tradeable by analysts after signing a one-year extension, and Serge Ibaka, 30, is on the final year of his deal. If the team was out of the picture for home-court advantage, the perspective of win-now would have shifted to win-later and securing some kind of return for two very capable players would have been first on the agenda.

But the Raptors kept swimming against the undercurrent, and now are powering through with momentum on their side. At 32-14, they're tied for the fifth-best record in the league and are in position to secure the second seed in the East.

They don’t necessarily need to make a move, but here are five players they could be in play for:

Danilo Gallinari

Danilo Gallinaro Thunder Preseason 2019

Evan Fournier

evan fournier magic

Bogdan Bogdanovic

bogdan trade deadline

Robert Covington

Robert Covington Draymond Green Wolves Warriors 2018

Kevin Love

Kevin Love

2019-20 season stats: 17.3 PTS, 10.1 REB, 2.9 AST, 36.7% 3PT

Why?

Scoring? Check. Rebounding? Check. Love would address two of Toronto’s biggest weaknesses and is a proven playoff performer with championship pedigree.

Why not?

Love can be exposed defensively and may have a problem coming off the bench behind Marc Gasol. He’s definitely not starting ahead of Siakam at power forward and his contract would also extend into the 2021-22 season. Plus, do you really want to have close to $30 million in salary coming off the bench?

How?

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