NBA Trade Rumors: There's still an expectation around the league that the Toronto Raptors will blow up their roster.
The Toronto Raptors are 8-10 through the first 18 games of the season and don't appear to be a team that is going to factor much in the Eastern Conference. If they do manage to make the postseason, they'll likely have to play their way into the playoffs and are likely a one-and-done team at best. That should to some interesting conversations behind closed doors inside the front office.
Quite frankly, with how their salary sheet currently lines up, there's an argument to be made that the Raptors should probably be open to blowing up their roster leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby have the opportunity to test free agency after this season and with the way the team has underwhelmed so far this season, it would be surprising if both players didn't seriously think about moving on.
If that is indeed the case, it would be in the best interest of the Raptors to explore their options at the deadline. And according to a recent report, that's exactly what rival teams are watching when it comes to the Raptors.
Will the Toronto Raptors finally wave the white flag?
These whispers have been swirling around the Raptors since the offseason. In fact, some of them have been following the team since last year's NBA Trade Deadline. Up to now, the Raptors haven't pulled the trigger on a trade.
And they kind of blew it on that front with Fred VanVleet, who elected to leave in free agency to sign with the Houston Rockets. VanVleet's move to the Rockets didn't end up being a sign-and-trade, so the Raptors lost their starting point guard for nothing.
You'd think that they would learn from that experience and be a bit more proactive when it comes to Siakam and Anunoby, who could essentially do the same thing that VanVleet did. However, the Raptors are still doubling down on this core, and the chance that they could catch fire at some point this season.
If the Raptors do end up being sellers before the deadline, they could erupt the biggest bidding war that we've seen at the trade deadline in quite a while. Both Siakam and Anunoby would be the most sought-after candidates at the deadline.
It doesn't seem as if the Raptors have reached that conclusion just yet, though. But there's no question that the rest of the league is certainly waiting on it.