‘I think they’re gonna move someone’
A recent episode of The CJ McCollum ShowAccording to the New Orleans Pelicans star guard, he heard rumblings that some Toronto Raptors players were unhappy about their current situation.
McCollum was asked by Izzy Gutierrez what his opinion is about the situation Toronto is in. With the February 9 trade deadline approaching, the Raptors are just half a game behind the Bulls for their 10th and final East play-in spot. However, they are just 3.5 games ahead of the Magic for the 13th seed.
“There’s rumblings about certain players on the team not being happy and due to tampering, I can’t speak to that,” McCollum said on his show. “But I think they’re gonna move someone at some point.”
McCollum stated, “Something has to change because they are way too talented for them to be struggling in the way that they have been struggling throughout this season.” “They have too many great pieces, too many players who are not only quality NBA players, but also impactful and high-quality players on other teams. They could be playing larger roles, depending on the person they choose to move to.”
Gary Trent Jr. is “undeniably” available
Trent Jr. is the prime trade candidate for Raptors. according to NBA insider Marc Stein. The 23-year-old guard can opt out this summer of his contract, which makes him a free agent. The sixth-year guard will be able to opt out of his contract. reportedly command north of $20 million Toronto could be overwhelmed by this figure annually.
Trent Jr. was drafted 2018 by the Blazers. He played three seasons with McCollum before being drafted. being dealt to the Raptors Norman Powell will be traded at the 2021 deadline.
The whole league wants OG Anunoby
His stoic demeanour surely doesn’t hint at any exasperation, but in terms of players being on the move in Toronto, Anunoby’s name is certainly in that conversation. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, “the entire league wants OG Anunoby. Everybody wants OG Anunoby.” However, a deal for the 25-year-old would require a king’s ransom.
According to reports, the asking price for Anunoby was described as “insane,” “astronomical,” and “far-fetched.”
Fred VanVleet had to adapt to a less important role
VanVleet, a Raptors player who is experiencing a downseason both statistically as well by his own standards is another candidate to be moved. He has the option of opting out of his contract in order to become an unrestricted agent in the offseason. You can find an appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast, The Old Man & the Three, the 28-year-old opened up about adapting to a lesser role and not having the ball in his hands as much. This is one of the reasons his numbers have dropped compared to last season’s All-Star year.
“I think from a stylistic point, the way we were playing last year was just kind of free and easy and I think I was much more a focal point with just on-ball duties and having the ball the whole game and being able to kind of dictate where I want to go, and this year that’s changed a little bit,” VanVleet said.
“So I’m trying to catch a rhythm. Some nights the ball finds you some and some nights it doesn’t, and the nights where it doesn’t, those are the nights that I’m struggling this year — where the out of rhythm games where I may get a couple catch and shoots, couple contested ones, couple ones off the dribble, not getting to the foul line and then I get three wide-open ones at the end of the night when we need them and if I make them we win, if I miss them we lose, I’ve had probably like four or five of those games.”
The Rockford native averages 17.7 points, 6.3 assists and 4.3 rebounding on a mediocre 37.3 percent field goal percentage and 32.5% from beyond the arc. VanVleet most recently been linked to the LakersLos Angeles’ inability to acquire assets makes it seem unlikely that a deal could be reached.
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