Three Trade Targets That The Raptors May Look To Pursue

There never seemed to be much doubt coming into the 2020-21 NBA season that it would be an unusual campaign for the Toronto Raptors.

The 2019 NBA champions were forced to play outside Canada (home games were in Florida), and there are still so many questions regarding the direction that the team could be going in.

There have been questions regarding what to do with Pascal Siakam, while the trade talk surrounding Kyle Lowry has refused to disappear.

It certainly looks like there will be some huge decisions made sooner or later by the Raptors, but which players could be ones that they target to add to the depth of the roster?

Myles Turner

Myles Turner is one of the best defensive players in the NBA and has constantly been a star that has been mentioned when it has come to the Defensive Player of the Year award over the past couple of seasons.

However, questions surrounding his future have been going on for a while now, and there’s no denying that he ticks a lot of the boxes that the Raptors will be looking to fill.

He is also not the most expensive option available in the NBA for franchises looking to go to the next level. He has $52.5 million remaining on his three-year deal.

His age is another factor that will please the Raptors. At 25-years-old, he would seamlessly fit into what the franchise is looking to build.

Toronto has looked a little light in the front-court this season, with that mainly being down to the departures of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol. Still, Turner would fill the void left and present a better option to Chris Boucher, despite his impressive performances throughout the season.

Mo Bamba

It hasn’t been the start to his NBA career that he would have been hoping for, but Mo Bamba is still a player that will appeal to several teams across the two conferences.

It could be argued that there hasn’t been the spot for Bamba to shine with the Orlando Magic just yet, as Nikola Vucevic has been in excellent form since Bamba arrived following the 2018 draft.

Like Turner, Bamba fills many boxes for the Raptors, as he will fill their needs for a big man on the court, and he could also have the freedom to develop his game behind some of the more productive Raptors players such as Siakam and Fred VanVleet.

Toronto has shown time and time again that they are an excellent team for developing young stars, and that would certainly appeal to Bamba, who has averaged just 4.8 points per game this season, and 3.8 rebounds.

Andre Drummond

Instead, the Raptors could go to the opposite end of the spectrum and look for an experienced player to fill the void since Ibaka and Gasol departed.

Andre Drummond will give the Raptors the big man advantage that they have been looking for in the middle of the court but wouldn’t offer the high scoring totals that other options available for the Raptors boast.

Drummond is in the final year of his deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which means that a deal could be agreed upon. However, whether the Raptors would be willing to part with Lowry to make a deal with the Cavs remains to be seen.

The 27-year-old has averaged 17.5 points per game this season, though, and has proven experience in the post-season, which would certainly benefit the Raptors.

Here you have the top 3 targets that the Raptors should pursue. These are only a few of the many NBA trade rumors that are currently talked about.