[Grange] In a perfect world, the Raptors would keep both Siakam and Anunoby as a core around Barnes and find better and more complementary pieces… But the how is the problem, remains the problem and has been the problem.
As they consider their trade deadline strategy, the Toronto Raptors have to decide what to do with stalwarts Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. @michaelgrange explores the options. https://t.co/DlnUFIfhE0
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 28, 2023
by EarthWarping
11 Comments
This is why I think they’ll end up trading one of those 2 in OG/Pascal
There really isn’t a viable option to get those pieces (keeping them means you’ll have no tangible cap space other than mini exceptions and vet mins) unless either you’re trading Poeltl (which leaves the C hole again) or you trade future firsts for those pieces which would leave a very top heavy roster going forward.
The trio could work together but we have no assets to put the right pieces around them. If we go back to the 2021/2022 season, we could have done far more interesting moves in either trading for KP or for Turner. There were other more interesting moves around the margin that could have been done too but IMO one underrated miss was drafting both Dalano Banton and David Johnson, the latter of which was never looking great to me. I actually liked the Dalano pick but the team clearly needed better shooting talent
Ok … well “how” is easy. Commit to developing assets, pay what it takes to retain those assets, and stop missing on signings trades and drafts.
in a perfect world you trade Siakam for a dynamic guard and have Scottie surrounded by shooters who can play off the catch. Why are we so set on keeping Siakam when Scottie is already same player but on steroids
Just question, what’s the definition of “this trio work” when we are 6 game below .500 with everyone healthy
In a perfect world, we would’ve tanked for wimby in a draft of very good 2nd prizes 😞
“Scottie Barnes plays better with Siakam out there”. Well, who’s replacing Siakam when he goes to the bench, Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher. So glad the player who’s leading to us another lottery pick, and is demanding 30% of the cap, gets compared to Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher so frequently.
I absolutely think this team would be better in the present and the future, with Andrew Nembhard & Aaron NeSmith; two players that are not going to be paid the same amount as Pascal, combined.
Please don’t be stupid Masai
Can’t get something with nothing. “Let’s trade all our trash for their good players without giving up picks”
That’s the crux of the issue. Yes the trio could work but you need the right pieces around them. First you need high level guard play, someone who can pressure the rim and hit the 3. Doesn’t have to be a pure PG s, someone in the mold of a Maxey type as an example. Then you either need an athletic C or a C that can shoot, be it midrange or preferably the 3 point shot (Koloko could develop into that C but let’s see if he can even play again). Off the bench you’ll still need guard play and players that can shoot to give you maximum spacing. That is a lot to find to make it all work.
What’s working against the Raptors is they mortgaged some of their future draft assets for a C that doesn’t do what I described above. On top of that they have the worst guard rotation in the NBA. You need high-level guards to run offense in the NBA. What Masai and Bobby were thinking was let’s get players that have guard attributes but are jumbo, aka vision 6’9. That’s all well and good but there are diminishing returns with that strategy. Just because they have the size doesn’t mean they have the quickness or burst to get to the rim at will, unless they’re LeBron James.
Now they’ve put themselves in a tight spot because if they want the players they need to make this work then they have to trade 1 of Siakam or Anunoby to get the players that they need. Unfortunately the Raptors can’t get cheap assets since they don’t control their first round picks until 2027 and don’t control their second round picks until 2028. Either way a change is needed to balance this roster out to fit around Scottie Barnes.
I think the 3 of them could work but now we have to pay them and it just doesn’t make sense to at this point. We did a real shit job of putting the right pieces around them