The Toronto Raptors may be a trade away from becoming the Beasts of the East and that's why there are trade rumors circling the North.
With two All-Star guards at the helm, the Raptors are seen as the only team that can offer a worthy challenge to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East.
The Raptors still lack a power forward in their roster. They tried to address that void with Jared Sullinger but he got injured. Now, it seems like the North will have to address that need with a trade.
The Raptors trading for a power forward has a talking point for rumors for most of the past season. Most pundits felt like they were contenders if they filled up that spot, but they haven't done so because the Toronto salary cap had to address free agent DeMar DeRozan.
Toronto has been linked with centers like Nerlens Noel even if they have their own talent in Jonas Valanciunas. Marc Stein of ESPN reported this.
"The Raptors are among the teams that have expressed interest in Philadelphia's very available Nerlens Noel, but sources say Toronto's initial preference in the wake of losing Jared Sullinger (foot) to injury is to give more minutes to various younger players (such as rookies Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl) so they get first crack at filling the void," Stein stated.
However, the rookies cannot be relied on in tough situations, specifically in the playoffs-even the Eastern Conference championships.
One underrated prospect for the team could be Derrick Favors. The Utah Jazz' center forward is perceived to be available for trade even if the Jazz make the playoffs.
Favors is a luxury to the Jazz who heavily invested in Rudy Gobert as their big man of the future. In a more recent piece, Stein noted that the Jazz could sign an extension for either Favors of George Hill and they already made a choice.
"According to the latest rumbles in circulation on the matter, Hill has emerged as Utah's priority here," Stein stated. "The Jazz just signed center Rudy Gobert to a four-year, $102 million extension, so their frontcourt needs obviously aren't as pressing as securing an anchor for the backcourt. Utah is also known to be fond of Hill's leadership qualities as a playoff-tested veteran on a squad not exactly teeming with postseason experience, which is among the reasons that the Jazz were drawn to Hill as a trade target in the offseason in the first place."
If the Jazz would not extend Favors, they may as well trade him at the deadline. The Raptors can deal a first round pick and possibly Terrence Ross for him. A starting lineup of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Derrick Favors and Jonas Valanciunas is one of the strongest in the league and may be enough to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers.