Two most likely trade candidates: Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr.
Despite all the noise that is currently surrounding this team, I still find it hard to believe that they would pull the trigger in-season on such a big move. However, if there are two most likely candidates for the team making a big move it has to be Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. And there’s an easy reason why.
For one, for as good as both of those players have been for the team, I don’t think anyone views them as core players. VanVleet may have been that in the past, but I think that has passed for the most part. He’s still important to their success but isn’t viewed as untouchable as he was a couple of years ago. And Trent is so new to the team that there was always a chance that the Raptors would move on from him eventually.
And second, they’re both players that could test free agency at the end of the season. Both VanVleet and Trent have player options for next season that they’re probably going to decline.
Is the Raptors’ long-term plan to pay both of them? It’s hard to say one way or another, but if there’s any doubt, Toronto should be doing their due diligence of seeing what their trade value is ahead of the deadline.
If the Raptors are going to make a big move at the trade deadline, it will likely include VanVleet or Trent.