NBA: 6 teams facing the most pressure to win post All-Star break

Toronto Raptors

At least to me, it was somewhat surprising when the Toronto Raptors elected to not make a big move at the NBA Trade Deadline. They did acquire Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs, but I’m not sure that will end up making that much of a difference either way down the stretch for the Raptors.

Instead, the team’s decision not to trade OG Anunoby (who could want out of Toronto), Fred VanVleet (who is a free agent after the season and could flat-out walk), or Gary Trent Jr. (another offseason free agent that could sign elsewhere) could end up being something that this team is criticized for during the offseason.

At the very least, I thought the Raptors would trade one of their big names. In the end, they decided to keep them all. Because of that decision, the Raptors are now in a spot where they have to win. They have to make the playoffs. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Especially considering the big decisions that this team has to make during the offseason, it would be a colossal disaster if this team elected not to make a big move at the trade deadline but then only proceeded to miss the playoffs entirely.