Why Toronto Raptors should and shouldn’t trade Scottie Barnes for Damian Lillard

What the Toronto Raptors are likely to do

In the end, I have a hard time believing the Toronto Raptors are going to mortgage their future for Damian Lillard. That’s my belief from everything that I’ve digested about how this situation has evolved over the last few days. I do believe that the Raptors are genuinely interested in Lillard but at the right price.

Here’s what I believe the Raptors are willing to do: I believe the Raptors have made an offer that is not better than Miami’s. If their offer was, this deal would be done already. Toronto has not offered Barnes, and the Blazers are hoping they do. I don’t believe the Raptors would go to that extreme. But if they can undercut the Heat by offering something similar to them, that’s what the Raptors are going to do.

At that point, the decision falls on the Blazers. If Portland doesn’t really want to trade Lillard to Miami, and they might not want to, the Raptors are giving the Blazers an out.

Who knows how this saga all ends but it’s become quite clear that the Raptors are a threat. How much of a threat, we shall see.