Raptors Rumors: Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., More
In this week’s episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Fastbreak on FanNation NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel is joined by Aaron Rose from All Raptors on FanNation to discuss all things Toronto Raptors, who currently find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
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Nick Nurse’s Future With Toronto [5:58]
Nick Nurse took over on the sideline in Toronto ahead of the 2018-19 season and in his first year as the head coach of the Raptors, he led them to a 58-24 record. To make things even better, Nurse coached the Raptors to their first ever championship.
Since then though, things have not been great for the Raptors, as they have won just one playoff series since their title in 2019 and the franchise is really struggling to remain relevant in the Eastern Conference this season.
Brett and Aaron discussed what Nurse’s future with the franchise could look like, especially since he reportedly has one more year left on his current contract [6:47].
Siegel: Should this team miss or lose in the first-round of the playoffs or in the Play-In Tournament… I don’t know. I just find it very hard to believe that he could be Toronto’s coach long-term.
Rose: Yeah, I don’t see him not finishing the year, so we will start with that. There are frustrations growing within this team and I was on the receiving end of some of Nick Nurse’s frustrations earlier in the season when I asked him a couple of effort related questions and he basically cut us off, saying “no more effort questions” before walking away from the press conference moments later. I can sense there are frustrations, but I also think that is what happens when teams are underperforming. Fingers are always going to be pointed at the head coach when teams are underperforming, but with that said, I still think Nick is a brilliant coach. But, it is fair to ask if maybe he is not the best players coach and maybe this team is taking a step back. I think he is a great coach for a winning team, but maybe if you are a lottery team or an early exit playoff team like the Raptors have been, I am not entirely sure he is the right coach for that.
Siegel: I tend to agree with you and coaching in the NBA is such a weird business because one day, you are being held above everyone else and then after a couple of bad losses and a change in mood during the season can ultimately lead to your downfall. In regards to Nurse, he’s a very sharp basketball mind and definitely knows what he is doing, but is he the right guy to lead this franchise into the future? I don’t know to be honest, simply because there are so many questions surrounding this franchise and if they are to rebuild, they will undoubtedly reevaluate their head coaching spot.
Fred VanVleet Upcoming Contract & Trade Discussions [9:53]
Heading towards the trade deadline, all eyes around the league are fixated on the Toronto Raptors and what they will ultimately decide to do with some of their high-level talents.
Being a key part of their championship team in 2019 and turning himself into an All-Star point guard, Fred VanVleet holds a ton of value right now, even though he is expected to opt out of his contract and enter free agency in the summer.
There are several teams who could show interest in VanVleet should the Raptors show a willingness to trade him ahead of this season’s trade deadline and both Brett and Aaron gave their insight as to what the future looks like for Toronto’s star guard [11:25].
Rose: It is complicated because should you pay a six-foot guy who is going to be 29-years-old by the end of the season that much money? The answer is it’s probably not a good idea, but at the same time, when you have a team like the Raptors, who are full of young players, you do need an adult in the room. It is important to have a guy like VanVleet to hold the young players accountable, especially since he has been to an All-Star game and has been in the NBA Finals. The Raptors really need a mature leader moving forward and Fred can help put out a lot of the fires within this organization. Maybe they will be giving him too much value from a big picture standpoint, but I would have a tough time trading Fred VanVleet because he is the heart and soul of this team.
Siegel: I love Fred VanVleet because he’s a guy that goes out every night, he plays his role to perfection and I really believe that he is one of the more underrated leaders in this league in terms of holding guys accountable in the locker room behind closed doors and really getting the most out of his teammates. As far as other teams that could pursue him, Steve Ballmer is not afraid to spend big money with the Los Angeles Clippers to put his club in a position to contend for a title and I think there are quite a few other sneaky teams who would be willing to give up a lot to try and get VanVleet. The Suns and Mavs I could both see going “all-in” for Fred if he’s available in trade talks next week, I could possibly see the Bulls trying to get involved, I wouldn’t sleep on the Pelicans and keep an eye on the Orlando Magic. Jeff Weltman, John Hammond and that front-office like to keep their plans silent for the most part and they have a ton of young assets they could give up to get a solidified star like VanVleet.
Gary Trent Jr. Trade Deadline Rumors [16:07]
One of the key names that has come up a lot in trade rumors pertaining to the Raptors inching closer to the deadline has been Gary Trent Jr.
Having one more season left on his contract, Trent is in a similar position to that of VanVleet given that he has a player option for the 2023-24 season that he will most likely be opting out of to become a free agent this summer.
Trading Gary Trent Jr. right now while he holds value and can return assets before becoming a free agent could be advantageous to the Raptors.
Rose [17:28]: “I think when you are talking about the Raptors’ core, you are talking about Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and O.G. Anunoby. Those are the core four and Gary is kind of the outside of that. With that being said though, I don’t know what the market is for Gary Trent Jr… He’s been a very solid player for the Raptors, but nothing spectacular. There’s been some reporting out there saying that the Raptors can get a lottery-protected first-round pick and maybe a couple of second-round picks and if that is all you get for Gary Trent Jr., maybe it is worth moving someone else and keeping him because this team needs three-point shooting and they are not going to get that by trading away their best three-point shooter.”
O.G. Anunoby Latest Injury Update & Trade Discussions [21:04]
Since last offseason, O.G. Anunoby has been a name that has come up countless times in trade rumors. Over and over again, Toronto has said that he is not available in trade talks, yet anything seems to be on the table right now for the Raptors and now could be the perfect time to sell high on a guy like Anunoby.
Being 25-years-old, Anunoby can bring a massive haul back for the Raptors in a potential trade deadline deal and his role is limited in Toronto given that he will not be put into the spotlight over guys like Siakam, Barnes and VanVleet.
Aaron Rose talked about Anunoby’s future with the team and what the latest updates are for him in regards to his recent wrist injury.
Rose [21:50]: “Nick Nurse made an interesting comment the other day that he was surprised to hear that Anunoby would miss the rest of their current road trip. When I saw O.G. get injured, I thought it was pretty serious. There has been reporting that it is not a long-term injury and maybe the Raptors are just understandably playing it cautious with him because they do not want to change O.G. Anunoby’s trade value or aggravate his injury further. Maybe he has played his last game with the team. They do have one game before the deadline when they come back to Toronto, but maybe O.G. is traded before that. If there is someone who is the most likely to be traded this season, it is O.G. Anunoby.”
