NBA Trade Rumors (Photo : REUTERS)
The Toronto Raptors, looking to recover from the first-round washout at the hands of the Washington Wizards, are reportedly set to make a big splash on the trading front at draft night, with their eyes locked in on Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried.
The Raptors are expected to make a big move this offseason after seeing all their regular-season success go to waste with 0-4 series loss to the Wizards in the first round. With several players set to hit the free-agency market, the Raptors will have a significant cap space to sign potential free-agency targets, but it appears they are poised to make some noise even before the free-agency period begins.
According to Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors via FanSided, the Raptors are one of several teams likely to be active on draft day. Toronto has the 20th pick in the upcoming draft, and based on the latest mock draft, there's still plenty of solid talents up for grabs beyond the lottery picks.
However, many league sources, including Myron, think the Raptors plan to make its presence felt more on the trading front than on the draft board. General manager Masai Ujiri was surprisingly passive leading up to last season's trade deadline, as he decided not to make any deal that would disrupt the team's chemistry at the time.
But following another playoff letdown, the former Executive of the Year will not let things play by the ear this offseason. While he has plenty of options available starting on July 1, Ujiri might make an earlier move to acquire an established player at the draft.
Faried, who signed a five-year, $60 million deal last summer, failed to sustain momentum after a strong performance at the FIBA World Cup, as he averaged 12.6 points and 8.9 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game. However, executives are still high on the 25-year old Faried as they viewed his down year as the result of another dismaying season under erstwhile coach Brian Shaw.
The Raptors have been one of few teams being linked to Faried the past two seasons, mainly due to his connection to Ujiri, the man who drafted him with the 22nd overall pick in 2011. Myron believed Toronto will finally pursue a trade for the energetic big man this summer in hope of addressing some loopholes in their frontline.
The Raptors have the assets in the form of draft picks and young player (Terrence Ross) to make the deal. They can also accommodate Faried's $12MM per year price tag as they are projected to be more than $20MM below the salary cap this offseason, per HoopsHype Salary Chart.
Acquiring a hustle guy like Faried would be a big boost for Raptors in closing the gap between them and Eastern Conference elite teams (Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls). In addition, Faried is also a player that thrives in up-and-down style of play, making him a great fit to Dwayne Casey's high-octane offensive system.
