To trade or not to trade

[golden]

i hope they trade hayward for capela. gordo is brad stevens' favorite son and ainge coldly trading him after battling back from his gruesome injury has serious potential for internal strife, which would be fun.

make it happen danny.

Nah. Just my guess, but I don't think Hayward would be particularly missed by his teammates. Might actually galvanize the team by freeing up shots for Brown and Tatum to put up big numbers. Capela won't need touches. That could potentially be a great trade for the Celtics.

[MixxAOR]

The Raptors have three players on big expiring contracts, though all three -- Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, and Fred VanVleet -- are key rotation pieces. Norman Powell's $11.6 million player option for 2021-22 might muck up Toronto's books for the critical summer of 2021, but he was playing the best ball of his career until injuring his finger over the weekend.

Holiday would be a dynamite fit. It's hard to see how the Raptors get him without dealing OG Anunoby, and though Masai Ujiri has pushed chips in on previous deadlines -- 2017 and last season -- he has never included a young player on Anunoby's level.

Still, what an incredible story these Raptors are: 11 straight wins, on pace to exceed last season's win total. Four months ago, rivals wondered how far Toronto would have to fall -- No. 5 in the East? No. 6? -- for Ujiri to contemplate a selloff. Now those rivals are fretting about a potential win-now move involving one of those above players and a future first-round pick. (Toronto owns all its firsts.)

Logic dictates the Raptors would prefer to trade this season's pick; they know it will land toward the end of the first round. They required zero draft picks of any kind to find VanVleet, Chris Boucher, and Terence Davis; you think they are afraid to give up the 25th pick if it means making an honest run at a second straight Finals?

Of course, suitors would prefer a pick down the line with more upside.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...appen-deadline

[MixxAOR]

If Masai gets Jrue. Get him a statue

[chris]

jrue would cost OG and ibaka and i don't think that makes us better.

i like jrue but i'm getting conley vibes from him (who's comparable to him in more ways than one). he's taken a big step back this year. is that step back permanent or just an anomaly?

honestly none of the names out there excite me considering what we'd have to give.

[chris]

Nah. Just my guess, but I don't think Hayward would be particularly missed by his teammates. Might actually galvanize the team by freeing up shots for Brown and Tatum to put up big numbers. Capela won't need touches. That could potentially be a great trade for the Celtics.

maybe you're right. i'm sure the wing players would be fine with it, but their coach would resent it. also their reputation would take another hit.

[inthepaint]

I doubt Pels are moving Jrue. Maybe if Zion was out for the season, but with him back (even with limited minutes), they'll hold on to Jrue

[MixxAOR]

jrue would cost OG and ibaka and i don't think that makes us better.

i like jrue but i'm getting conley vibes from him (who's comparable to him in more ways than one). he's taken a big step back this year. is that step back permanent or just an anomaly?

honestly none of the names out there excite me considering what we'd have to give.

I think Jrue on Raps would be the best SG in playoffs on Eastern Conference side.

[chris]

I think Jrue on Raps would be the best SG in playoffs on Eastern Conference side.

that's a grass is always greener sort of thing to me. i'm not sure he's been better than vanvleet this year.

[golden]

I think Jrue on Raps would be the best SG in playoffs on Eastern Conference side.

Sorry, Mixx. Jrue is a 'nice' player, but I don't see myself saying "Jrue Holiday is a Raptor" while doing a fist pump, if a trade goes down.

[MixxAOR]

Sorry, Mixx. Jrue is a 'nice' player, but I don't see myself saying "Jrue Holiday is a Raptor" while doing a fist pump, if a trade goes down.

Brad Beal dream died. Jrue is best next thing.

[RaptorsVictim]

Jrue is 29 years old, very close to 30 and during his career, I did not see the force that can shift us higher in the next playoff.

[MixxAOR]

Jrue is 29 years old, very close to 30 and during his career, I did not see the force that can shift us higher in the next playoff.

Second team All-Defense last year. First Team All-Defense in 2018.

[MixxAOR]

[golden]

Second team All-Defense last year. First Team All-Defense in 2018.

We have enough defense. We need offense.

[RaptorsVictim]

Second team All-Defense last year. First Team All-Defense in 2018.

I did not know that, but in my humble opinion, he will not shift us higher than we are unless we give secondary players.