What’s Next for Raptors After Their Surprising Trade Deadline?

The Toronto Raptors are a team that could have made a bigger splash, but opted for smaller moves.

Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith reaches for a loose ball against Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are moving forward after swinging and missing on a big player at the trade deadline.

The Raptors were linked to several of the league's top big men, including Sacramento Kings All-Star Domantas Sabonis and future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis. However, the Raptors came up empty-handed on those targets, settling for Golden State Warriors centre Trayce Jackson-Davis. They also traded Ochai Agbaji to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team deal that ended up landing Chris Paul.

Here's a look at the three things the Raptors need to do next after the trade deadline

Waive Chris Paul

The Raptors have made it clear to Chris Paul that they are open to waiving him, giving him an opportunity to play in a more conducive environment for him as he plays out the final season of his 21-year career. The Raptors are in no rush to waive him, but it's a move that is coming down the line.

“Chris Paul is probably one of my favourite players ever,” general manager Bobby Webster said via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange. “So, it’s a weird thing to trade for him. So I said (to his agent), whatever you want to do. At this point in his career, we want to be the most professional (we can be), so we’ll waive him at the appropriate time.”

Chris Paul watches during the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals game. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Sign Chris Boucher

The Raptors could still benefit from adding some size in case Jakob Poeltl's back injury lingers into the postseason. A player that makes sense for the Raptors is Chris Boucher, who spent several years with the team before moving on last year.

Boucher was traded by the Boston Celtics to the Utah Jazz, who are moving on from him. This will allow Boucher to become a free agent. He can sign elsewhere. The Raptors make a lot of sense for him because of the familiarity and the need for some size. While Boucher is only 6-8, bringing him on board gives the right depth for the stretch run.

Gear Up For Offseason Trades

The Raptors kept all seven of their first-round picks, and they will be able to use those potentially in a trade during the offseason. The Raptors will learn a lot about their team over the next couple of months as they gear up for a playoff push. The results of the postseason will dictate how far the Raptors go to get their next key members of the core.

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