SIGN IN :3 top talented Raptors must trade immediately to kick-start rebuild……
Chris Boucher could be traded by the Toronto Raptors.
The Toronto Raptors set themselves up nicely for the Scottie Barnes-led future, netting RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and three first-round picks in the Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby trades. However, Masai Ujiri is kidding himself if he thinks this roster should be set in stone.
Toronto’s brutal blowout loss against Fred VanVleet and the Houston Rockets shows the issues with the general vibes in the locker room. Everyone is clearly either on edge or giving half effort due to the knowledge many of the players on this roster won’t be on the team in about a week.
The players left on the roster openly admitted that the constant trade rumors surrounding Siakam and Anunoby fractured the locker room, as they never knew when the trade would actually go down. In order to get rid of some of the veterans and give this team more new blood, Ujiri needs to start wheeling and dealing as soon as possible.
The Raptors need to leave the trade deadline with this trio of players suiting up somewhere else. Failure to accomplish that goal would leave Toronto saddled with disgruntled veterans who are playing on a bad team that is openly trying to let the young guys run wild, a future that helps as few people as possible.
Boucher did not get any minutes against Houston despite playing against one of the best big men in the game in Alperen Sengun with Jakob Poeltl on a minutes restriction and Jontay Porter injured. Boucher’s time in Toronto seems to be up, and teams around the league will need to get in on the sweepstakes ASAP.
Boucher’s numbers are declining, and he is on the wrong side of 30. Getting outplayed by two-way players (Porter) aging veterans (Thad Young) isn’t a good sign, but even his limited action this season showed enough for some team out there to flip some sort of draft capital over to Toronto.
The Celtics have reportedly been eyeing Boucher for some time, and the West has so many frontcourt injuries that one of their top teams wouldn’t be ridiculed if they rolled the dice on Boucher for what seems like a very reasonable price. Ujiri seems willing to look past the 2019 nostalgia lately.
The Toronto Raptors are not done making trades, as veterans lik
, Chris Boucher, and others could be on the move. Not even a calendar year removed from winning a title with the Denver Nuggets, Brown, acquired from the Indiana Pacers in the Pascal Siakam deal, might not want to stick around for the rebuild.
Brown makes sense for so many contenders, as he can defend multiple spots and score from anywhere on the court without being a ballhog. However, the Raptors are not going to let teams like the New York Knicks or Los Angeles Lakers get him without paying a hefty price.
Toronto has reportedly set a very high asking price for Brown, demanding a first-round pick and promising young player to acquire him. Ujiri has become famous for setting a price for his players and holding firm, though this might be enough to scare away a team like the Lakers.
According to Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer, the Lakers and Raptors aren’t discussing a Brown trade with the same vigor as before, as Los Angeles is reportedly balking at Toronto’s asking price for Brown. The odds of Brown staying in Toronto seem to be growing as teams fade away
According to Adrian Wojnarowski on a Threads discussion, the Raptors aren’t necessarily in a rush to trade away Brown. Even though he is owed a ton of money in the offseason when Toronto must pick up his $23 million option, his fit on this team is obvious to anyone.
Brown is averaging 11.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while making 50% of his shots. Brown was arguably the best player on the floor in Toronto’s win against the Chicago Bulls, as he showed he can be an effective finisher who competes as hard as anyone on the defensive side of the ball.
The Lakers have multiple players that could entice Toronto, including a promising power forward in Rui Hachimura and No. 17 overall pick Jalen Hood-Schifino. Despite Rob Pelinka’s willingness to constantly give up future assets for short-term upgrades, the Lakers don’t seem willing to meet this price.
Even with three first-round picks and the best second-rounder available at the moment, the Raptors could easily justify keeping Brown instead of spending an equal amount of money and draft capital on players who could replicate his production. Unless LA pays up, Toronto is fine with keeping him.
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