NBA Trade Rumors: The Toronto Raptors are reportedly willing to trade anyone on the roster not named Scottie Barnes ahead of the offseason.
After a disappointing season, it should come as no surprise that heading into the offseason, the Toronto Raptors are ready for some changes. Or, at the very least, they’re open for them. And it didn’t take long for the changes to begin as the team elected to fire head coach Nick Nurse a few days ago. According to a recent report, former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is set to be a prime candidate for the position.
But a new head coach could just be the tip of the iceberg for the Raptors this summer. Toronto has two key free-agent decisions that they need to make regarding Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet and will likely be one of the more active teams in the trade market, if this past season’s NBA Trade Deadline was any indication.
Adding some credence to that speculation is a recent report that stated the Raptors are open to trading anyone on the roster that isn’t named Scottie Barnes.
Should the Toronto Raptors retool or rebuild this offseason?
Assuming that these reports are accurate in how the Raptors are going to approach the offseason, you can’t help but wonder what the best course of action would be for the team moving forward.
On one hand, this could be the ideal time for a rebuild. The team is going to get a new head coach, contracts are coming off the books and the Raptors could get some big returns for their two other stars (Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby) that would be highly sought-after players on the trade block.
However, at the same time, there has to be some belief that the team could retool a competitive roster around Siakam, Anunoby, and Barnes heading into next season – even if they ultimately decide to move on from VanVleet and/or Trent.
All in all, it won’t be an easy decision for the Raptors, no matter what they decide. The good news for this team heading into the offseason is that they’ll have plenty of options. If nothing else, the Raptors decide to hit the reset button and they’re left with Barnes and a collection of assets to begin a new era of Toronto basketball.
The Raptors are certainly a team to keep an eye on heading into the offseason. And they could very much be one of the teams that dictates just how chaotic this summer ends up being.