Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors could get a major haul if they decide to trade OG Anunoby, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.

"The entire league wants OG Anunoby," Lowe said on The Lowe Post podcast (h/t All Raptors) "Everybody wants OG Anunoby. If he ever gets traded, the price and picks are going to surprise people because it might be on par almost with what the Cavs gave up for Donovan Mitchell. It's going to be a lot if it ever happens."

The Cleveland Cavaliers gave up Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three first-round picks and two pick swaps to acquire Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz this offseason. Mitchell was also a proven commodity, earning three All-Star selections while averaging at least 20 points per game in each of his first five NBA seasons.

There is still plenty of demand for Anunoby, who continues to improve each year in the league.

The 25-year-old is averaging 18.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season, while his 2.4 steals per game leads the NBA.

The Raptors have struggled to a 13-18 record this season, including six straight losses, but they are 5.3 points per 100 possessions better with Anunoby on the court, per Basketball Reference.

The 6'7" forward can guard multiple positions and continues to improve on the offensive end, giving him plenty of upside even six years into his career.

Anunoby's name was mentioned as part of potential trade talks with Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet, while the Portland Trail Blazers considered shopping the No. 7 pick for him, per Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer.

Toronto held onto the talented player through the offseason, but he could now be expendable as the team falls out of the playoff hunt.

A trade could benefit reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, who would get more touches alongside Pascal Siakam with Anunoby gone. Promising young guard Gary Trent Jr. would also become a permanent part of the starting lineup when healthy.

Anunoby is under team control through at least next season, plus a $19.9 million player option for 2024-25.

As the San Antonio Spurs continue their plummet down the standings, Jakob Poeltl's future with the franchise is going to be a hot topic leading up to the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the Toronto Raptors have interest in bringing Poeltl back after trading him to the Spurs in 2018 as part of the Kawhi Leonard deal.

Fischer noted the Chicago Bulls had internal conversations about the 27-year-old center prior to last season's trade deadline, and rival teams are "closely monitoring" them as a potential seller.

The Spurs are in a potentially tricky spot with Poeltl. He's only 27 and is one of the few bright spots on their roster right now, but this is also the final season of his current contract.

According to Fischer, Poeltl will "strongly consider" re-signing with San Antonio if he doesn't get moved before the trade deadline.

One potential issue the Spurs face, however, is what Poeltl might command on his next contract. Fischer noted a poll of league executives pegged his upcoming contract valuation between $15 and $25 million per season, with the high end of that projection potentially being more expensive than a rebuilding team might want to pay.

The Raptors are trying to find a spark amid a 13-15 start and need help at center. Christian Koloko has been their primary starter at the position, but he's only averaging 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Poeltl spent the first two seasons of his career in Toronto. He was drafted with the No. 9 overall pick by the Raptors in 2016. The seven-year veteran is averaging 12.9 points and 9.9 rebounds in 20 starts this season for the Spurs.

The Bulls are another team that had designs on making the playoffs in desperate need of help. They are 6-12 in their last 18 games and have fallen to 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

Nikola Vuçević, the Bulls' current starting center, is in the final season of his contract. They could potentially flip him to a team that needs help at the five and bring in Poeltl, who is five years younger than Vuçević.

The Spurs seem like a team that should go all-in on trading veteran players to acquire more long-term assets. They have lost 17 of their last 21 games and own the worst record in the Western Conference (9-19).

Other NBA teams are reportedly keeping an eye on the Toronto Raptors in case they decide to make some significant trades this season.

According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, rival executives are "watching Toronto closely" and "bracing for fireworks" if the Raptors continue to hover around the .500 mark for the next couple of months.

Lowe added that teams are wondering if the Raptors might be willing to move players such as Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby or even reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes.

Toronto has enjoyed a great deal of success in recent years, reaching the playoffs in eight of the past nine seasons, including winning a championship with Kawhi Leonard leading the way in 2019.

The Raptors fell off and finished 27-45 in a bizarre 2020-21 season that saw them play their home games in Tampa, Florida, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they bounced back last season.

Galvanized by the selection of Barnes with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, the Raptors returned to prominence and the playoffs with a 48-34 mark, although they were eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Still, there was a great deal of excitement surrounding the team entering the 2022-23 campaign, due largely to one of the deepest and most talented starting lineups in the NBA, made up of Siakam, Barnes, Anunoby, VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr.

The Raptors also put together a strong bench comprised of veterans Thaddeus Young, Otto Porter Jr., Chris Boucher and Juancho Hernangomez, as well as younger players like Precious Achiuwa, Christian Koloko, Dalano Banton and Malachi Flynn.

Despite that, Toronto is only 13-13 on the season, placing it in a three-way tie for seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Injuries have undoubtedly played a role in the Raptors' struggles, as Anunoby and Koloko are the only players to have appeared in all 26 games.

Barnes has missed three contests and clearly been less than 100 percent in several others, while Siakam missed 10 consecutive contests last month.

The Raptors undoubtedly have the talent to be players in the Eastern Conference, but even if they remain healthy, it is fair to wonder if the current roster is capable of taking down top teams like the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks come playoff time.

If Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri does decide to make a major change before the trade deadline, VanVleet and Trent are perhaps the top trade options since both can opt out after this season, while Siakam has only two years left on his deal.

Even though Kevin Durant could swing championship odds if the Brooklyn Nets traded him, at least one member of the Toronto Raptors wouldn't want his team to make a play for the 12-time All-Star if it meant giving up Scottie Barnes.

Appearing on the How Hungry Are You? show with Serge Ibaka (h/t Wenzell Ortiz of Yahoo Sports), Fred VanVleet explained why he wouldn't want to trade Barnes for Durant if the scenario presented itself.

"I wouldn’t do it," he said. "I told you, I’m a loyal guy; I’m not a trade guy."

VanVleet did smile when Ibaka asked him if there were any teammates he would trade to get Durant, so he isn't completely opposed to the idea of adding one of the best players in NBA history.

Despite his trade request over the summer, there has been no indication during the season that Durant is looking to leave Brooklyn. The Nets have played better of late, winning five of their past seven games to get to .500 (11-11) for the first time since the second game of the season.

The Raptors were among the teams reportedly interested in acquiring Durant, but Barnes seemed like a potential breaking point in trade negotiations.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet reported in July the Raptors were "fixed" on not putting Barnes into any trade package for a potential superstar player.

It's not hard to understand why Toronto's front office would want to keep Barnes, even if it meant not being able to get Durant. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year is only 21 and has already established himself as one of the best young two-way players in the league.

Barnes' overall shooting efficiency has declined so far this season (49.2 percent as a rookie to 43.7 percent), but he's been more effective shooting the three (34.8 percent, up from 30.1) and is averaging 5.2 assists per game.

Durant is capable of transforming almost any franchise into a title contender, but he's also 34 and has missed significant time due to injuries over the previous three seasons.

The Raptors are still trying to put all of the pieces together to start this season. They are sixth in the Eastern Conference with an 11-9 record. Their defense ranks in the top 10 in points allowed (108.5) and defensive rating (111.1).

Toronto is building around the terrific quartet of VanVleet, Barnes, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Head coach Nick Nurse has an excellent track record and should be able to figure things out with this group as the Raptors look to get back to the playoffs.

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday that Pascal Siakam will miss at least two weeks because of a muscle strain.

The 2019-20 All-Star has been the team's best player to open the 2022-23 season. He's averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists through nine games.

Siakam exited Toronto's 111-110 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday with a groin injury. A two-week recovery timeline could rule him out for the team's next eight games as well. A Nov. 23 clash with the Brooklyn Nets may be the earliest he's back on the court.

Siakam's value goes beyond the box score.

Head coach Nick Nurse began using the 6'9" forward as a center more frequently last year, and the trend has continued into the current campaign. Per Cleaning the Glass, 19 percent of Siakam's minutes came at the 5 in 2021-22, and the number is up to 24 percent in 2022-23.

His ability to not only defend the perimeter but also operate as a small-ball center is something that can't easily be replicated by another player within the squad.

On offense, Siakam has helped the Raptors cope with their dearth of playmakers behind Fred VanVleet, who has missed three games due to back trouble. Siakam, VanVleet and Scottie Barnes are the only Toronto players averaging at least two assists per game.

Two weeks isn't a long time in the grand scheme of an entire season, but top-six race in the Eastern Conference is likely to be a tight one. Siakam's injury could prove costly if only one or two games are what separates Toronto from the No. 6 seed to the play-in tournament.

The NBA fined Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri $35,000 for his actions during his team's loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday.

The NBA announced the fine Wednesday, noting Ujiri was fined "for approaching the scorer's table and directing inappropriate remarks toward a game official."

Miami won the game 112-109 with Jimmy Butler leading the way for the victors with 24 points, five assists and four rebounds. Pascal Siakam also stuffed the stat sheet for Toronto with 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Yet the contest stood out for much more than the result, as Toronto's Christian Koloko and Miami's Caleb Martin were each ejected in the third quarter. They were battling for position for a rebound, and Martin was called for a foul as Koloko went to the ground.

They became tangled with each other and even ended up in the seats. Officials stopped the game to review the play after players from both sides came over to the altercation.

"I just stood up for myself and I get ejected," Koloko told reporters. "That's what happened."

Eric Koreen of The Athletic reported it wasn't clear if Ujiri's comments to the official were related to the scuffle.

The NBA issued punishments, suspending Martin and teammate Nikola Jovic for one game and fining Koloko $15,000. Jovic was suspended for leaving the bench area.

Toronto enacted some revenge and defeated Miami 98-90 in Monday's rematch behind 24 points and nine assists from Fred VanVleet.

As for Ujiri, he has been with the Raptors since 2013 and helped build the roster that won the championship in the 2018-19 campaign. He was with the Denver Nuggets before joining Toronto and won the NBA Executive of the Year in his final year with the Western Conference franchise.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes suffered a right ankle sprain in Saturday's game against the Miami Heat and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced, per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.

The Raptors selected Barnes with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He won Rookie of the Year honors after putting up 15.3 points, 7.5 boards and 3.5 assists per game across 74 appearances during his debut campaign.

He entered Saturday's game averaging 16 points, five rebounds and five assists through Toronto first two games of the season. He's made 50 percent of his shots from the floor and 66.7 percent of his shots from deep.

Barnes dealt with a minor ankle injury during his time at Florida State but missed just one contest. He missed a few games with a thumb injury as an NBA rookie.

Precious Achiuwa and Thaddeus Young are among the forwards who figure to receive an uptick in playing time if the 21-year-old is forced to the sideline.

Barnes is a crucial part of the Raptors' reworked roster following the departures of Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry over the past couple of years since their 2019 NBA title run, so his absence will definitely impact the team's playoff chances.

An anonymous NBA executive reportedly said recently that they would be selective over who they would trade reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes for if they were in control of the Toronto Raptors.

Speaking Friday on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (h/t HoopsHype), ESPN's Tim MacMahon said an executive who he respects told him they would trade Barnes to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant, but not to the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell.

Durant and Mitchell are viewed as the top two players on the NBA trade block currently, and the Raptors may have enough ammunition to trade for one of them if they so choose.

Durant signed a four-year contract extension with the Nets last year, but his business manager, Rich Kleiman, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ESPN's Tim Bontemps) in June that he had requested a trade.

Then, after the Jazz traded All-Star center Rudy Gobert in July, Wojnarowski reported that Utah was willing to listen to offers for its three-time All-Star guard in Mitchell.

Neither Durant nor Mitchell has been moved yet, presumably due to high asking prices that may have been exacerbated by the Jazz getting four first-round picks and several players for Gobert.

The Raptors have been linked to Durant more so than Mitchell, but Wojnarowski reported last month that they considered Barnes a "non-starter" in a trade for KD.

Barnes, 21, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft out of Florida State. He made an instant impact for the Raptors, averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 74 contests as a rookie while shooting a strong 49.2 percent from the field.

By adding Barnes to a core that included Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr., the Raptors reached the playoffs with a 48-34 record last season, improving significantly on the 27-45 mark they posted one year earlier.

While trading the reigning Rookie of the Year and a player with perennial All-Star potential in Barnes is a worrisome proposition, Durant could prove to be the piece Toronto needs to get into championship contention.

While Durant is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, the 33-year-old veteran is coming off a hugely productive season that saw him average 29.9 points per game.

KD also boasts one of the most impressive resumes of anyone in the league with 12 All-Star selections, four scoring titles, two NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards and one NBA MVP award.

Trading for Durant would perhaps be akin to when the Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs for a package headlined by DeMar DeRozan in 2018.

Leonard only stayed with the Raptors for one season before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, but he led them to their first NBA title and was named NBA Finals MVP.

Mitchell has great potential as a scorer and is just 25 years of age, but the Jazz haven't made it past the second round of the playoffs during his tenure, so he doesn't necessarily carry the same type of reward that a trade for Durant would.

Of course, the Raptors could stand pat and be players in the Eastern Conference as their young players like Barnes continue to improve, but Durant may be the key to vying for a championship immediately.