NBA Trades: In an NBA Trade Deadline eve move, the Toronto Raptors land a supporting star for Scottie Barnes in a bold trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
It wouldn't be that outlandish to suggest that the Toronto Raptors have been mildly underwhelming so far this season. With the talent the Raptors have on their roster heading into the start of this year, there was an argument to be made that they could emerge as somewhat of an underrated dark horse contender to make the postseason in the Eastern Conference. So far, that hasn't been the case and it led the team to be aggressive heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.
Deadset on looking for a major talent upgrade in an attempt to give Scottie Barnes a strong supporting star, the Raptors acquired Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and two draft picks (one first-rounder and one second-rounder).
After the acquisition of Ingram, it's hard not to look at the Raptors as a much-improved team heading into the stretch run. Even though this is clearly a play to set up next season, I wouldn't count out the Raptors making a run over the final few months of the year.
Could the Toronto Raptors make a run up the standings?
I'm not sure if I would say they have a great shot of making the postseason in the East but they're just five games back of the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls, who are likely to continue to strip down their roster after the Zach LaVine trade. In the NBA, five games is a large gap to make up - especially considering there is roughly one-third of the season remaining.
However, if the Raptors can click quickly, I wouldn't put it past the Raptors to jump back into the Play-In Tournament conversation in the East. Playing for a new contract, you can bet that we're going to see the best that Ingram has to offer. Maybe health will be a key to the Raptors turning their season around over the next couple of months.
While a postseason appearance would be nice, I do believe Toronto would want to build some momentum heading into the offseason. Assuming Ingram is here to stay, it would be great to see the Raptors begin to hit their stride toward the end of this season to help carry that level of play into next year. This is certainly a bold move from the Raptors. They're hoping it pays off in a big way.