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Raptors fans upset, confused after quiet NBA trade deadline
The Raptors were at the centre of the rumour mill for weeks, but ultimately ended up keeping their best assets.
It was a whirlwind NBA trade deadline but the Toronto Raptors were relatively inactive and the majority of fans weren't pleased.
Toronto acquired Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday in exchange for Khem Birch, a 2024 first-round pick (top-six protected), along with 2023 and 2025 second-round picks. It wasn’t a completely inactive deadline as Poeltl is back for his second stint with the Raptors, but it was far from the franchise-altering splash many were hoping for.
The Raptors were at the centre of the hot stove for weeks and were in position to make a number of impact moves. Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and even Pascal Siakam all appeared in the rumour mill but ended up staying put.
With a record of 26-30, Toronto currently sits 10th in the Eastern Conference but is only 4.5 games back of sixth place for the final playoff spot. As it stands right now, the Raptors would be involved in the play-in tournament.
Here’s how Raptors fans and media personalities felt after the deadline passed.
So the Raptors devalued their pick this year, traded their pick next year and decided to head into free agency with three guys looking for big extensions on a team with a second round ceiling.
— JD Bunkis (@JDBunkis) February 9, 2023
just an enormous missed opportunity from the raptors. really disappointing
— Joe Wolfond (@joey_doubleyou) February 9, 2023
Yeah, there's no positive spin on this. We got fleeced. https://t.co/oviQjOgeNq
— K. –– Free Iran (@ThatPersianGuy) February 9, 2023
Raptors front office to all the fans rn pic.twitter.com/cbqClNoMb3
— Noor (@noorrzainab) February 9, 2023
"The money just doesn't add up to me."@william_lou & @steven_lebron react to the #Raptors lack of trades as the #NBATradeDeadline passes by.
LIVE 🔴
💻 https://t.co/QppcoZ0OVk
📺 SN360 & SN NOW pic.twitter.com/y7e7azjBeF— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) February 9, 2023
this raptors trade deadline could have been an e-mail
— alex (@steven_lebron) February 9, 2023
Feeling very 5D Chess about the raps. You know, Pick Sacrifice, Masai's Gambit, Searching for Bobby Webster levels of chess mastery. I believe*
*ᵐᵃᵏᵉ ᶦᵗ ʰᵘʳᵗ ˡᵉˢˢ ᵖˡᵉᵃˢᵉ— Abdul Malik, WGC (@MarxGasol) February 9, 2023
pic.twitter.com/D4vcEllvEa https://t.co/jEfHnaNeK6
— Jonathan Soveta (@eighteenyards) February 9, 2023
The Raptors during the entire trade deadline pic.twitter.com/LaZS96H388
— Libaan Osman (@libaanstar1) February 9, 2023
i am no basketball aficionado, but wow. what an upsetting trade deadline for the raptors
— maha (@mahaaaay) February 9, 2023
maybe R.C. Buford the only guy with enough sway to have Masai's phone number
— Louis Zatzman (@LouisZatzman) February 9, 2023
the entire trade deadline hinged on the raptors except everyone traded someone except the raptors.
— Jesse Rubinoff (@jesserubinoff) February 9, 2023
I am at peace with the idea that the Raptors are both good and bad. We made it.
— Daniel Reynolds (@aka_Reynolds) February 9, 2023
Welp, the Raptors are 4.5 games out of the 6th spot and have a lot of winnable games in February.
And now have a rim protector for the starters, use Precious at the 5 when it feels right and can shift vision 6’9 to a bench unit
Let’s watch this pic.twitter.com/q8dpq9tjGH— Amit Mann (@Amit_Mann) February 9, 2023
It’s not all negative, but the majority of fans and media personalities clearly wanted the Raptors to take some sort of direction, whether it was to increase their slim odds of receiving the first-overall pick this summer to select generational centre Victor Wembanyama, or improve the roster meaningfully for a prolonged playoff run.
How are you feeling about how Masai Ujiri, Bobby Webster and Co. approached the deadline? Are you satisfied?
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