The NBA trade rumors are reaching their peak point as the trade deadline is nearing and the Toronto Raptors need to make some moves.
The team has already conceded second place in the Eastern Conference to the Boston Celtics, taking away All-Star coaching privileges for Dwayne Casey. Now, Brad Stevens gets to take a shot at coaching the East's best players.
Now, even the Washington Wizards are on the Raptors' tail and their hopes of toppling the Cleveland Cavaliers are slipping away as they even end up losing homecourt advantage in the first round.
Even before their struggle, it was always clear that the Raptors as currently constructed would not be enough to take down LeBron James and company. Now, the NBA trade rumors abound with James and his clamor to improve his team. Should the Raptors just take this sitting down?
The good news for Raptors fans is that their team has a capable GM and actual resources to make a trade. They also have excellent players on expiring contracts to fill their position of need. Perhaps that's why Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is not panicking.
According to Mika Honkasalo of Hoops Hype, the Raptors should go all in on Paul Millsap.
"Any team looking to trade for Millsap wants the value now, and at most for the next two years after that. The Raptors fit that timeline well with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan at the top of their games, and if there's push all the chips in it would be now."
Millsap is a great fit with Lowry and DeRozan and it seems like the only thing hampering this trade is that Ujiri is calculating whether to upgrade now or try to acquire Millsap in free agency this summer. The question is whether this current season is worth jeopardizing a first round pick for (since they would most likely need to clear cap space to sign Millsap).
The price for Millsap is said to be Terrence Ross, Norman Powell and their first round pick. That could also apply to Serge Ibaka of the Orlando Magic, but Honkasalo calls him "a worse version" of the Millsap deal and questions whether Ibaka is worth the same package. But if Atlanta holds on to Millsap with the thought of making one final run, the Magic seem decided to cut their losses on the Ibaka trade.