Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Toronto Raptors are expected to chase several players on the trading front should they fail to land either Pau Gasol or Dirk Nowitzki in free-agency.
According to reports, the Raps have already inquired about the availability of Philadelphia 76ers defensive specialist Nerlens Noel, but could look into other options such as Chicago Bulls' forward Taj Gibson and Denver Nuggets' energy bunny Kenneth Faried.
Raps general manager Masai Ujiri entered the free-agency fray with two things in mind: lock in DeMar DeRozan and upgrade the power forward spot. He easily accomplished the first task at hand by signing DeRozan to a five-year max deal worth around $130 million. However, he hasn't covered yet the second goal, not with Gasol and Nowitzki still deliberating their next stops anyway.
After reaching the Eastern Conference finals last year, the Raptors are eager to prove their run wasn't a fluke by putting a team capable of toppling the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East. The power forward is their weakest link so far, but that could change if they can land one of their target free-agents or nab a high-impact bruiser through trades.
Here are the three potential trade targets for the Raptors this offseason:
Taj Gibson - Averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, the 31-year old Gibson is entering the final year of his contract worth $8.5 million, which is pretty cheap for a productive forward. With the Bulls appear to be pushing for 'youth revolution,' many NBA insiders believed Gibson can be had on a bargain price.
Kenneth Faried - Like Gibson, Faried has been on the Raptors radar for quite some time. The 6-foot-8 energizer averaged 12.5 points and 8.7 boards last season with Nuggets, who are also forming a team consists of youngsters. Faried could give the Raptors the rebounding and defensive presence they lost after Bismack Biyombo signed with the Orlando Magic on a four-year, $60+ million deal.
Nerlens Noel - this is the potential trade many NBA followers are closely monitoring. Noel to Raptors makes sense as the Sixers look to solve their talent logjam in the frontline while the Raps direly need a rim protector right now.
All of these trade options are feasible as long as Ujiri is bold enough to pull the trigger. Few weeks ago, the Thunder offered him Serge Ibaka for Terrence Ross and a bunch of reserves, but he refuted the proposal. Will Ujiri shy away from the opportunity this time around? We will see in the coming weeks.
