Raptors prepare for long playoff run with late-season trades

In trading for power forward Serge Ibaka ahead of the NBA All-Star break, the Toronto Raptors had answered Kyle Lowry’s call for “change,” filling a major hole in the team’s starting lineup. Yet the very next week, team President Masai Ujiri revealed he wasn’t quite done with reshaping his roster for a long playoff run.

Acquiring veteran wingman P.J. Tucker from the Phoenix Suns for Jared Sullinger and two second-round draft picks at the trade deadline, the former NBA Executive of the Year added to his list of stellar mid-season moves.

While speaking with the media following the trade, Ujiri claimed he felt the Raptors were lacking a certain toughness, especially on the defensive end. By bringing in players of Ibaka and Tucker’s caliber, Ujiri had immediately addressed each area of concern.

Both newcomers have a reputation in the league as defensive stalwarts, albeit for different reasons. The Congolese native Ibaka is highly regarded as a rim protector with great mobility, making him a valuable defender in the pick and roll. On the other hand, the 31-year-old Tucker is an irritant for opposing players with his persistent pursuit on the perimeter and tenacity as an on-ball defender.

Though there are draft picks involved, the Raptors essentially swapped Terrence Ross and Sullinger for Ibaka and Tucker with these two late-season trades.

A quick look at the advanced metrics shows that both incoming players are rated as above league average in defensive win shares, with Ibaka posting 1.9 and Tucker 1.4, according to basketball-reference.com. In comparison, Ross posted a respectable 1.1 while the often-injured Sullinger was rated a paltry 0.1.

One of the biggest concerns of the Ibaka trade was the loss of bench production in the absence of Ross. Tucker, a six-year veteran, is by no means an offensive juggernaut. His 3-point shooting is below league average, but he’s capable of hitting open shots and he should see plenty of them with much of the opponent’s attention paid to Lowry and DeMar Derozan. With the addition of Ibaka to the starting lineup, we’re likely to see a trickle-down effect with the team’s bench as forward Patrick Patterson shifts back into the reserve role he’s thrived in.

It should be noted, however, that both Ibaka and Tucker are suffering through down years by their own standards.

This is the third straight season Tucker has seen his points per game drop from the previous year. He’s shooting below his career average of 43.4 percent from the field, hitting just 41.6 percent from the floor. Similarly, this marks the fifth straight season Ibaka’s blocks per game have fallen from the previous year, and his rebounds per game average is the lowest since his rookie season.

Yet despite these struggles, Ujiri has every reason to believe the additions of Ibaka and Tucker can significantly improve this team. Tucker is posting career highs in free throw percentage and steals per game, while Ibaka is setting career highs in points per game, 3-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage, steals per game and assists per game.

Considering what the Raptors had to give up — Ross, Sullinger, a 2017 first-round pick as well as 2017 and 2018 second-round picks — the cost to improve the current roster seems rather reasonable. Ibaka’s presence fortifies a strong starting five, and with Toronto’s eyes set on a return to the Eastern Conference final against Cleveland, Tucker will likely be tasked with guarding Lebron James.

Without jettisoning the team’s future, Ujiri was able to address some short term needs while gaining potential returns in the long term. Ibaka is in the last year of his current contract but it is widely believed Toronto will make a hard push to resign its newly acquired big man. Ujiri’s personal relationship with Ibaka through their involvement in the Basketball Without Borders Africa campaign bodes well in the negotiations.

Tucker’s contract also expires this summer, and the former Texas Longhorn will be looking to make an immediate impact in Toronto as his last big pay day in free agency approaches.

Ujiri has done his job, swinging two big trades to help pull his Raptors out of a lowly 5-11 stretch. Now it’s up to the players to see Ujiri’s plans for a long playoff run through.