Trade Deadline Could Give Raptors Chance For Big Move

The Toronto Raptors are a team angling to make a big splash at the trade deadline.

Toronto Raptors forward/guard Scottie Barnes reacts to a call during the fourth quarter. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are two weeks away from the trade deadline, which is a natural time for all 30 teams in the NBA to evaluate where they are and where they are going.

The Raptors are 27-19, which is good for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. They are right on the heels of the New York Knicks and are within striking distance of the Boston Celtics. However, they are still seven games back of the Detroit Pistons, which could justify a move to be made.

“I’ve heard multiple times that they are feeling some pressure to win,” a Western Conference source told Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange. “They are interested in a significant move because they feel some heat to justify their jobs.” 

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram calls a play against the Sacramento Kings. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Raptors Could Feel Pressure as Trade Deadline Buyer

The Raptors may have surpassed expectations from the preseason, but there are still several holes that the team could fill. The Raptors could benefit from adding another centre or acquiring another three-point shooter or two.

With the Eastern Conference wide open, the Raptors could be the ones to make a move that could put them in position to compete for a spot in the NBA Finals this season. That's why being a buyer in this year's trade deadline is so intriguing.

With the team on the rise, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster's job appears safe, even though the team has struggled to make the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. The team's recent performance has given Webster and the front office a boatload of confidence that their plan is working.

“There’s a really good vibe,” a source told Grange.

“Everyone is comfortable with each other. The communication is good. It seems like there is a big-picture view of the whole thing. It’s kind of (an) old-school approach to dealing with management. There’s a lot of runway, and no rush. Everything has cooled off (since the decision to part ways with former Raptors president Masai Ujiri last June). They’ve really come a long way, considering there was an executive search this past summer.”

Just because Webster's job is safe does not mean that there is not pressure for the trade deadline. This could be the best chance the Raptors have at reaching the NBA Finals given how wide open the Eastern Conference is, so they need to decide if making a move or two is the right decision.