The 2017-18 Raptors had an extremely successful season — right up until their crushing, second-round playoff sweep at the hands of LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Since then, Toronto has made one major change, firing head coach Dwane Casey and replacing him with in-house assistant Nick Nurse, but the team could be eyeing even greater upheaval involving its roster.
According to a report Monday by Marc Stein of the New York Times, Toronto is “exploring all of its trade options” in hopes of landing a draft pick that would position it to select Kentucky point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “No one on Toronto’s roster is off limits,” claimed Stein, citing a league source, with the team looking to move into the top 10 in Thursday’s draft.
If Gilgeous-Alexander is indeed the Raptors’ target, then a move all the way into the top 10 may not be necessary, with most mock drafts projecting him to be taken in the 11-15 range. However, in that case, a higher pick would be required to feel more sure of landing his services.
In any event, the question may not be how high the Raptors need to get in the draft order, but how they might arrive there. They are one of just two squads who entered the week with no picks at all this year, and while they could dangle a 2019 first-rounder, at least one of their current players, and a noteworthy one at that, would have to be included.
The two most obvious names there are Toronto’s pair of veteran stars, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. DeRozan would likely be the more attractive trade asset, given that he is younger and, unlike his all-star teammate, has been named to an all-NBA team in each of the past two seasons.
It would make much more sense for the Raptors to try to deal Lowry, though, particularly to make room for a fellow point guard such as Gilgeous-Alexander. One point in his favor, as opposed to DeRozan, is that his contract has one less year remaining on it, albeit at higher annual figures.
Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune added to Stein’s reporting Monday by noting that he’d “heard from several places Kyle Lowry is very available.” However, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports said that he’d be “very surprised if the Raptors moved into the lottery,” because “management has indicated they have no intention of taking a step back in the short-term.”
That may be the case, but Raptors management may also have realized that the team has been hitting its ceiling over the past three years, with excellent regular seasons that have ended without trips to the NBA Finals. A sense that the core of DeRozan and Lowry, even with an improved supporting cast, isn’t enough to get to the next level could be bolstered by viewing the Celtics and 76ers as imposing, ascendant rivals in the East, even as the Cavs possibly fall back due to James’s widely expected departure.
As for Gilgeous-Alexander, his appeal to the Raptors could extend beyond the impression he left in his freshman season, when he improved to the point of being the best player on a Wildcats squad loaded with its usual array of young talent. The crafty, 6-foot-6 guard was born in Toronto and raised in nearby Hamilton, Ontario, making him something of a local favorite.
On the other hand, there’s plenty in Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting better than 40 percent from three-point range, for other NBA teams to like, as well. The Raptors may simply be engaging in wishful thinking by mulling ways to land the homegrown Kentucky star, but at least they’ve given their fans a reason to have some interest in the draft.
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