NBA Trade Deadline Week is Here and Toronto Raptors Are on an Upswing
Say what you want about the Toronto Raptors' 106-103 win over the Western Conference second-place Memphis Grizzlies on the road Sunday.
Yes, Memphis was without star guard Ja Morant (injured wrist) and guard Dillon Brooks (one-game suspension), but the Raptors have been playing better of late. They’re not going to say no to a win over a team like the Grizzlies.
Raptors Pull off Successful Road Trip out West
That win also capped a 4-3 epic West Coast road swing. As the week begins, they sit at 25-30 in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game out of 10th place, which is the final play-in spot. They’re 4.5 games back of Miami for sixth in the East – the final guaranteed playoff spot.
Next up is San Antonio, at home, on Wednesday night. Basketball Reference, in its playoff probabilities report, has the Raptors at 28.5 per cent that they’ll make the playoffs.
The Spurs are second-last in the NBA’s Western Conference – 14-39, .264. So the Raptors, on a two-game winning streak, obviously will be favoured on home court Wednesday to take care of business.
NBA Has No Love for Pascal Siakam
Power Forward Pascal Siakam has been playing like an all-star of later. But, incredibly, he is not - the NBA named its all-star rosters last week and Siakam wasn’t included. He’s averaging career highs of 24.7 points and 6.2 assists, along with 7.9 rebounds this season.
Siakam is the only player in the East, and one of just four in the entire NBA, to average 20+ points, 7+ rebounds and six-or-more assists this season, joining Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Nikola Jokic. Against Memphis, he had 19 points, including a pair of huge free throws with nine seconds left.
Scottie Barnes’ game is on an upward trajectory – scoring 13 of his 16 points late in the game, including two big scores with less than a minute left. He added seven rebounds.
Fred VanVleet, who is the subject of a lot of trade speculation, led Toronto in scoring in four of seven games on that West Coast road trip, averaging a team-high 23.0 points over that stretch.
What's Toronto's Outlook from Here?
Where the Raptors go from here is anyone’s guess. The trade deadline is this Thursday at 3 p.m. Brooklyn trading Kyrie Irving to Dallas was the first salvo, and the Raptors are in the thick of it.
Do they throw in the towel on this season and build for next year, putting pieces like VanVleet and OG Anunoby out there?
The price for VanVleet went up, especially for teams like the Lakers, who need a point guard. They were in the thick of it for Irving.
VanVleet hasn’t turned 29 yet and appears likely he’ll be heading for free agency this summer. He has a $22.8 million player option but can make more than that in free agency. The Raptors reportedly have been offered three first-round picks for Anunoby.
