NBA Trade Rumors: The Toronto Raptors appear to be motivated to make at least one move as the NBA Trade Deadline quickly approaches.
With how the standings look at the midway point of the season, there are probably a handful of teams that should be aggressively looking to embrace the role of a seller at the NBA Trade Deadline. Objectively speaking, the Toronto Raptors should be considered as one of those teams. With a 10-32 record, it's pretty clear the Raptors aren't going to make a play for the postseason. This team should be looking to trade some of the veterans on their roster.
Even though this hasn't been an ideal season for Toronto in terms of health, the Raptors are still in the early stages of a rebuild. I'm not even sure the most optimistic of Raptors fans can envision this team emerging as a potential playoff team in the East next season. Because of that, it only makes sense for Toronto to sell off some of its veteran contributors for future assets.
While I'm not sure if the Raptors would be considered an aggressive seller heading into the NBA Trade Deadline at this point, there is a recent report that suggests the team is going to aggressively shop at least one player on their roster. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Raptors are "very motivated" to trade Bruce Brown before the trade deadline. If they aren't able to find a trade suitor before the deadline, he could naturally emerge as a potential buyout candidate before the end of the season.
What will the trade market look like for Bruce Brown?
It's hard to envision what the trade market will look like for Brown at the moment. He's in the final year of his contract and missed a good portion of the start of the season due to injury. In the nine games he's played in so far this season, Brown is averaging seven points and three rebounds on 43 percent shooting from the field. It's an extremely small sample size but it should be noted that the last time Brown was playing for a contender, he was helping push them across the championship finish line.
If there's a playoff team looking for backcourt or wing depth with championship experience, Brown could be a natural target leading up to the trade deadline. There's certainly concern with the fact that he hasn't played a ton so far this season and the fact that he's essentially a rental for most teams that are going to be interested in acquiring him.
It remains to be seen how aggressive the Raptors are truly going to be at the deadline but it does appear as if Brown is unlikely going to be on the team much longer - whether he's traded or not.