Raptors’ VanVleet, Anunoby garnering curiosity as commerce deadline looms

Because the Toronto Raptors put together to embark on a season-long seven-game highway journey on starting in Sacramento on Wednesday, the spectre of the NBA’s Feb. 9 commerce deadline looms giant over the membership.

Sitting on a 21-27 document and in eleventh place within the Jap Convention, rumours are swirling over a possible sell-off of a few of Toronto’s key belongings reminiscent of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr.

Right here’s a take a look at the most recent experiences which have hit the Raptors scorching range.

Clippers need VanVleet, Lowry

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor is reporting that the Los Angeles Clippers are fascinated with buying a few Raptors legends.

O’Connor reported that the Clippers are wanting into buying and selling for former Raptors level guard Kyle Lowry and present level guard VanVleet, reuniting one or each of these gamers with Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell in Los Angeles because the Clippers hope to copy what Toronto achieved in 2019.

In keeping with O’Connor, if the Raptors want to make a commerce, it’s extra possible that they appear to maneuver VanVleet and/or Trent Jr. on the deadline as a result of they’re each, primarily, on expiring offers with participant choices for subsequent season.

VanVleet’s potential match with the Clippers is clear. He would give L.A. an possibility at level guard, both as a starter or as a backup, and the area offered by the likes of Leonard and Paul George would open up his deadly off-ball sport once more as properly.

Lowry, however, doesn’t make fairly as a lot sense. Since arriving in Miami from Toronto via a sign-and-trade transaction in the summertime of 2021, he’s struggled to remain wholesome and his manufacturing has dropped immensely. The 36-year-old is averaging a modest 12.8 factors and 5.4 assists per sport, whereas capturing 40.9 % from the sphere and 34 % from three-point vary — all down from his profession averages.

Shocking package deal supplied for Anunoby

Anunoby is among the many hottest names on the commerce market proper now and the Raptors have reportedly already taken a take a look at at the least one important supply.

Toronto was reportedly supplied three first-round picks for his or her 25-year-old two-way star, the Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur reported in his newest column on Monday.

Given how priceless an asset Anunoby’s sport can be to any group within the league, who this thriller squad in pursuit of him is likely to be is anyone’s guess, however to be prepared to surrender three firsts speaks to how the remainder of the league views him.

In keeping with O’Connor, the Raptors would doubtless be on the lookout for two or three unprotected first-round picks for Anunoby or Siakam, which might be what the maintain up on such a transaction is likely to be.

These three first-round picks which have reportedly been supplied up for Anunoby is likely to be coming with some unattractive protections connected to them.

In these negotiations, the Raptors seem like they’re those with leverage. They should make this benefit depend.

Raptors fascinated with bringing again Poeltl; Trent Jr. might need to re-sign

Jakob Poeltl, the gifted former College of Utah centre whom the Raptors took with the ninth-overall decide within the 2016 draft, could possibly be returning to Toronto.

In keeping with LJ Ellis of Spurs Talk, a San Antonio Spurs-focused weblog, affords the Raptors have made for Poeltl have gotten “more and more aggressive.”

Of the a number of offers on the desk, Ellis experiences that the one which’s gained essentially the most traction can be a three-team swap that will see the Raptors dealing Trent Jr. as a part of the transaction. Ellis didn’t supply any perception on who the third group is likely to be.

Like Anunoby, Poeltl is among the many most talked-about names on the market with the commerce deadline closing in. He’s averaging 12.3 factors and 9.2 rebounds on 63.3 % capturing this season and can develop into an unrestricted free agent in the summertime.

However there is no certainty Toronto even strikes Trent Jr. in any respect, given there’s mutual curiosity between him and the Raptors in figuring out a brand new deal this summer season, per Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.

Extra from Yahoo Sports activities