Two Raptors likeliest to be traded before deadline

The NBA Trade Deadline is scheduled for Feb. 5.

Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are officially in trade season, with the deadline a little less than two months away.

There are a few players on the team that could be approaching the end of their tenure in Toronto, but two players stand out as people that could be dealt. CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn conducted a league-wide trade guide and listed two Raptors that could be traded.

RJ Barrett

"Toronto has been linked to several All-Stars in the rumor mill, but the Raptors have to match money somehow. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram seem to be the core. Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl have negative-value contracts. That leaves Barrett, owed a hefty salary just this year and next year," Quinn wrote.

"The Raptors would miss him. He's a better player than he was in New York. But Toronto's starting lineup has underwhelmed this season. The Raptors win games on the bench, so there are plenty of replacements available."

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Barrett has been thrown in trade rumors recently since he has been on the sidelines with a knee sprain. The Raptors have not played their best basketball with Barrett on the sidelines, but things could be looking up in the future.

That being said, if the Raptors want to make a big move by trading for someone like Anthony Davis or Giannis Antetokounmpo, Barrett is almost certain to get placed in that deal.

Garrett Temple

"The Raptors are less than $1 million above the tax line, so moving a minimum salary out and then replacing him with a pro-rated minimum later in the season is the easiest path to getting under. Temple is the only older minimum here. He's a locker room presence at this point, nothing more," Quinn wrote.

Temple is a likely trade candidate for a smaller deal the Raptors could make. The Raptors don't lose much by trading him other than the fact that he is a welcomed veteran presence in the locker room.

That's enough reason to keep him. But if the team has a chance to improve by bringing in a minimum-salary player, moving on from Temple will be the easiest sacrifice the team has to make.

The Raptors are back in action tomorrow night as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET inside the Fiserv Forum. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.