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A DeMar DeRozan Return? Parsing the Latest Trade Rumours For Raptors Matches
Just a few days ago we looked at some of the best available players on the NBA's worst teams to find trade targets for the Toronto Raptors. The list wasn't very long with so many teams still in the hunt for a playoff spot, but now there are reportedly a few new Western Conference teams that have been receiving interest in their top players.
The two most notable of these teams are the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings, who have reportedly been getting plenty of calls on some of their most intriguing trade assets, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Thursday.
Let's take a look at their best trade assets:
San Antonio Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Trey Lyles, and Patty Mills
Well, two of these would certainly be fun.
The Raptors' "We The North" era started when Toronto traded away Rudy Gay in December 2013, sparking seven straight trips to the playoffs. Now, as the Kyle Lowry nears an end it would be quite ironic if Gay returned to the Raptors to cap things off. Unfortunately, this story is better suited for fan fiction than reality. Gay's $14 million contract for this season is a little too pricy for Toronto to be able to make things without giving up someone equal to or more valuable than Gay.
Continuing with that fan fiction theme, a DeMar DeRozan reunion would surely be something for Raptors fans to fall in love with. The 31-year-old DeRozan has evolved into an extremely talented playmaker since he left Toronto, averaging over seven assists per game this season. Unfortunately, a deal here doesn't make too much sense for Toronto because of DeRozan's almost $28 million contract this season.
The easiest trade to envision here is one with Canadian Trey Lyles as he fits Toronto's need for frontcourt depth. It wouldn't cost much for the Raptors to pry the 25-year-old big man loose, but he's not quite enough of a difference-maker to see a trade happening.
Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes and Nemanja Bjelica
Harrison Barnes is certainly the more talented of the Kings' duo, but with that comes his exorbitant contract that's a little out of Toronto's price range. He's due over $38 million over the next two seasons and would eat too much into the Raptors' long-term plans.
The more likely of the two to pique the Raptors' interest is certainly Nemanja Bjelica, the Kings' 32-year-old big man. Had Bjelica been playing like his 2019-20 self, Toronto probably would be all over the pick-and-pop artist. But this season Bjelica's numbers have fallen off considerably and he's become a below-average 3-point shooter. With a $7.5 million contract for this season and a low asking price, Toronto wouldn't have to give up very much, but there's just not enough juice to make a deal worth the squeeze.
Unfortunately, this latest batch of trade rumors doesn't leave much room for Toronto to find a worthwhile deal.
Further Reading
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What we know about Toronto's COVID-19 issues
Norman Powell will have some tough questions to answer this offseason
