As we’re getting closer to the holidays, many teams in the NBA want to get gifts this year to improve their roster. One of those teams that needs a Christmas wish list is the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors need to change their roster because of their up-and-down start. So, I thought of a list of three wishes that Toronto could use to improve the team.
Pick a direction
The Raptors are right now 9-11 this season. They are not good enough to be a contender, but not bad enough to get a lottery draft pick. The main reason Toronto is in the position that they are in right now is because there is a lack of direction on this team.
Toronto had countless opportunities to land a superstar player to help them compete for a title, like Kevin Durant or Damian Lillard. But the Raptors were not willing to trade away Scottie Barnes. And that’s fine because Barnes could be a future superstar.
But the Raptors have an All-Star in Pascal Siakam, who is in the prime of his career. Siakam is 29 years old. He’s not going to be an All-Star caliber player for much longer. Siakam should be on a championship roster.
Adding Durant in 2022 would’ve made the Raptors a championship team. But Toronto did not want to give up Barnes. The Raptors end up getting eliminated in the Play-in tournament. I’m not saying that it’s Barnes’ fault because it’s not; it’s more on the front office for not picking a direction. And because of that, the Raptors are stuck in no man’s land.
If Toronto decides to build a championship roster around Siakam, then that’s fine. Suppose they want to rebuild the team around Barnes and trade Siakam before the trade deadline for draft picks, young prospects, and expiring contracts. Don’t let Siakam walk for nothing like they did with Fred VanVleet. Get as many assets as possible to fit the rebuild.
Raptor fans are tired of this Toronto team playing terribly for a couple of nights straight, then playing great the next game, only for them to be a play-in team. They either go all in on building a championship team or start over—no more of the wait-and-see approach.
Bench scoring
The Raptors have a solid starting five. But the bench needs help. They are 23 in bench scoring with 30 points per game. Toronto’s starting five, which consists of Barnes, Siakam, Dennis Schroder, O.G. Anunoby, and Jakob Poeltl, average 108.2 points per 100 possessions.
So, it looks like the bench needs to improve. The Raptors can improve the bench by making trades at the trade deadline. One trade they could do is send Gary Trent Jr. to the Indiana Pacers for Buddy Hield. Hield is averaging 13.2 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists per game. He also shoots the ball at 45.9 per cent.
Hield is a free agent this summer. So, if Ujiri still doesn’t know the team’s direction, then they can view Hield as a short-term option to see if both Siakam and Anunoby re-sign before making a final decision on Hield.
Another trade Toronto could make is sending Trent, Malachi Flynn, and a 2026 second-round pick to the Orlando Magic for Jalen Suggs and Gary Harris. Not only does this improve the bench, but the Raptors also get a backup point guard that fits in Toronto long-term.
Back-up point guard
Dennis Schroder is playing well so far this season. He is averaging 15.9 points per game, three rebounds per game, and seven assists per game. But Toronto needs another point guard on their team because Malachi Flynn hasn’t been great as a backup.
That’s why the Raptors should look into getting another point guard at the trade deadline. Two-point guards’ve been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks. And those two players are Immanuel Quickley and Alex Caruso.
Caruso is averaging 9.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, and 2.3 assists per game. He also has two years left on his contract. Caruso isn’t the typical point guard, but he can do the little things, like steal the ball and disrupt the opposing team’s offense.
To get Caruso, Toronto should give up Chris Boucher and a 2027 lottery-protected first-round pick. Boucher gives the Chicago Bulls size and energy. Chicago also gets a first round that could help them if they decide to rebuild the team.
What about Quickley?
Quickley is a free agent in the summer. The New York Knicks could’ve offered him an extension before the season started but chose not to. Quickley is looking for a big-paying day, and the Knicks most likely aren’t willing to offer him that kind of money.
So instead of letting him leave for nothing, New York should trade Quickley to get something back in return. The ideal trade for both teams is Quickley to Toronto for Malachi Flynn and a 2027 first-round pick.
The Knicks get draft assets they could use in a future trade to get a star. The Raptors get their backup point guard to fill the void left by Schroder whenever he’s on the bench. This trade could also make Quickley the primary point guard for Toronto in the future.
The only problem that could prevent a trade between Toronto and New York is that the Knicks sued the Raptors in the summer over the hiring of a former Knicks employee. But if both teams can move past their differences, they can make a trade that benefits them.
These three presents on the Christmas wish list will help the Raptors improve their team because Toronto needs a capable backup point guard and a bench that can shoot the ball. But before that, the Raptors must choose a direction. Do they go all in and compete for a championship or do they rebuild the whole roster around Barnes?
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