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The Rap Up: Recent trade chatter reveals multiple targets for the Raptors

The Rap Up: Recent trade chatter reveals multiple targets for the Raptors

We're in February, the most interesting month of the NBA regular season. The All-Star weekend is rolling in with the trade deadline coming shortly after.

The Raptors are coming off the best win streak in franchise history, and completed January with a 12-1 record.

With 50 games under their belt, the trade chatter around the association is beginning to heat up. We're beginning to figure out the potential selling teams, whereas the Raptors will be in the buyer's market.

The challenge for General Manager Masai Ujiri will be to engineer a trade with 15 guaranteed contracts on the roster. The Raptors use a 9-man rotation night-in and night-out, but with recent injuries to DeMarre Carroll and James Johnson, we've seen rookie second-round pick Norman Powell step up in their absence. Other young players had to step up at some point this season. Bebe Nogueira got some important minutes when Jonas Valanciunas was ailing in November and December.

Whenever a team on the roll contemplates making a trade, there are a few things to take into consideration. A trade could very well put an end to the win streak and positive play of late. On the other hand, making a move could be a preemptive strike in preparation for potential or current injuries, which is the situation where the Raptors find themselves in.

Before analyzing trades through trial and error, teams must pinpoint the assets they are unwilling to trade and the pieces they could concievably part ways with.

The 'untouchables':

Kyle Lowry - All-Star starter, broke out in Toronto. He's the most talented point guard in franchise history and the heart and soul of the team.

Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan (10) scores on Miami Heat's Amar'e Stoudemire (5) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Friday January 22, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan (10) scores on Miami Heat's Amar'e Stoudemire (5) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Friday January 22, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

DeMar DeRozan - Fan favourite, two-time All-Star. The decision to opt out in the summer is a slight concern, but DeMar is a lock to stick around.

Jonas Valanciunas - Big man in the paint. Talented scorer and rebounder just re-signed this past offseason and is going nowhere.

Cory Joseph - Possibly the best free agent pickup in Raptors history when looking at advanced stats and analytics.

Bismack Biyombo - Bismack has been a pleasant surprize this season, and where Valanciunas lacks in post defence, Biyombo makes up for with hustle and his 7'8" wingspan.

Bruno Caboclo - He's still very much a part of the future and the hope is he will come into his own when the Raptors are in the thick of competing for a championship.

The 'trade chips':

Patrick Patterson - Personally, I think Patterson is a key piece to the team's success this season despite a poor performance. But money-wise the Patman's cap hit is large enough to include in a deal for a superior talent. If there was a way to keep him on the team for the rest of the season, I'm all for it.

Luis Scola - The Argentine big man stepped in as the starting power forward and has performed admirably so far. Scola has added 3-point range to his offensive arsenal and brings some much needed basketball IQ to the locker room.

James Johnson - With the limited playing time at the beginning of the season, Johnson has taken it upon himself to accelerate the development of the youngins: Bebe, Bennett, Powell and Caboclo. Since Carroll's injury, he stepped in and the Raps didn't seem to lose a beat. It would be unfortunate to lose the mentor, but if the Raps are going to make a move, he's the most likely candidate to be moved.

The other prospects - Lucas Nogueira, Delon Wright, Norman Powell and Anthony Bennett. One or more may have to be moved to cater to a rebuilding team's demands.

And without further ado, here are the players that have recently been linked to the Toronto Raptors: P.S. You can find the status of the Raptors' future draft picks here.

Memphis Grizzlies' Zach Randolph, center, shoots between Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris (11) and P.J. Tucker during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 14, 2014, in Phoenix. The Grizzlies won 97-91. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Memphis Grizzlies' Zach Randolph, center, shoots between Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris (11) and P.J. Tucker during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, April 14, 2014, in Phoenix. The Grizzlies won 97-91. (AP Photo/Matt York)

P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris:

It's clear the Suns are going to be sellers at the deadline. Tucker was a target for the Raptors last offseason but the team settled for James Johnson when they weren't able to acquire him. The question here is whether the Raps are willing to take on Morris on top of Tucker. Morris has been disgruntled since Phoenix traded his twin, but prior to the rift, Markieff was developing into one of the most versatile stretch fours in the league.

Proposed trade: TOR acquires Tucker, Morris for Patterson, Johnson, Nogueira and LAC's 2017 first round pick.

David Lee: Of all the potential targets, this one is the most puzzling. The Celtics and Lee have already made it clear that they'd like to part ways, and the Raptors are somehow in the mix. If Toronto has deep playoff ambitions, this isn't the move to make. However, If the Raps feel they need to continue building through the draft, acquiring Lee with some of Boston's plethora of draft picks may be the way to go. Lee is on a big expiring contract, so some may think there's value there, but the cap space the Raptors would gain would immediately be spent on DeRozan's new deal.

Proposed trade: TOR acquires Lee, DAL's first round pick, MIN's first round pick (Top 12 protected) for Patterson, Scola, Johnson.

Ryan Anderson: This may be the best move to win now. Anderson is an offensive upgrade to Patterson and has a similar skillset although not as athletic or defensively sound as Pat. Anderson is a capable scorer in the post and has range on his jump shot. His expiring contract is another headdache for the Raps, they'd have to convince him to stay for the long haul this summer.

Proposed trade: TOR acquires Anderson, Alonzo Gee for Patterson, Johnson, Nogueira and NYK first round pick.

Al Horford: This one's a long shot. The Hawks are in a playoff position, but there have been talks about Atlanta blowing it up and retooling for the future. Jeff Teague's name has come up and the rest of the team's core is already in their 30's. Adding a player of his caliber would push the Raptors over the top and immediately thrust them into championship contention. He fits the system, is one of the better two-way bigs in the game and will revert to his natural power forward spot.

Proposed trade: TOR aquires Horford, Justin Holiday for Patterson, Nogueira, Delon Wright, NYK first, TOR first and LAC first.

Toronto is playing the best basketball in franchise history right now, and tampering with the formula could result in a decline in form. Standing pat at the deadline may very well be the best move for the Raptors, but that may depend on the severity of James Johnson's ankle injury. But then again, the Raptors stood pat at the deadline the past two seasons and it got them knocked out of the first round twice. The loss of both Carroll and Johnson may force the Raps into finding a replacement to fill the void until the playoffs.

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