Paul Millsap (Photo : Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors are heating up and the fans north of the border await the big move from their Toronto Raptors.
With the Raptors' current struggles, a trade may really be necessary for them to be considered as worthy rivals to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have enough assets to make a worthy offer, but who are their options.
In a previous report, it was mentioned that the two targets of the Toronto Raptors to fill out the void at the power forward position are Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks and Serge Ibaka of the Orlando Magic. However, there might be a change with regards to the players' availability.
The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly holding on to their players after they were rumored to have placed them on the block. The Atlanta Journal Constitution made the call a month ago and the Hawks have been quite successful in that timespan, which makes a trade less likely.
"Paul Millsap will not be traded," the report stated. "The Hawks' all-star power forward has been taken off the trading block, according to several people familiar with the situation. General manager Wes Wilcox began informing teams on the decision on Monday."
Most pundits would not dismiss a Millsap trade based on that statement, but the Hawks would like to keep winning. However, if they come to a realization on their true place in the Eastern hierarchy, they might take a look at the offers in front of them.
The Orlando Magic have not had any news on Serge Ibaka and it is assumed that the team is listening to offers.
The Raptors are not limited to those two names, though. According to Marc Spears of The Undefeated, the Raptors stand a chance to land Carmelo Anthony.
"Anthony said during the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto that he is a fan of the Canadian city. With the Toronto Raptors, he would join forces with a star-studded backcourt of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry," Spears wrote.
Spears also noted that current Raptors GM Masai Ujiri was the same GM that traded Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, but that doesn't mean they are not in good terms. Anthony actually requested the trade and Ujiri masterfully executed a good haul for the Denver Nuggets, netting him an Executive of the Year award.
