Raptors Notes: Trade Options, Roster Flexibility, Trent, Boucher

The Raptors‘ front office, led by team president Masai Ujiri and GM Bobby Webster, will have a variety of intriguing options ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Grange notes that Toronto, a team that has won six straight contests, could look to improve its current roster without wholly sacrificing its future.

The team can offload the $19.4MM expiring contract of veteran point guard Goran Dragic, who has not been with the Raptors since November. Future draft picks and the expiring deal of big man Chris Boucher could also be moved.

The Raptors clearly need to shore up their bench depth, per Grange, who observes that four of the team’s starters rank within the NBA’s top seven in minutes per game. Scoring and passing are particular areas in which Toronto could look to improve. Grange considers Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and Rockets guard Eric Gordon to be potential targets.

There’s more out of Toronto:

• Beyond seeking a ball-handler or shooter, the Raptors could also be on the prowl for a center at the trade deadline, opines Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Smith believes that the expiring contract of Dragic equips the club with significant leverage at the deadline. Today’s trades that saw players at the caliber of CJ McCollum, Domantas Sabonis and Tyrese Haliburton changing zip codes have apparently not impacted Toronto’s trade plans. “You always take a look at as far as setting the kind of market value, but I don’t think any of the deals have materially changed that.” Raptors GM Bobby Webster said. “I don’t feel like the value proposition has changed for many teams. They’re still interested in the deals or they’re still not interested.”
• Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr. is much happier with the Raptors than he had been with the Trail Blazers, his father, Gary Trent Sr., told Alex Wong and William Lou of Sportsnet.ca on The Raptors Show With Will Lou. “My biggest thing when I’m watching my son play is the happiness and joy that he plays with now,” the elder Trent said. “My son was depressed and so down and so sad in Portland that watching him play actually used to hurt.”
• Raptors big man Chris Boucher, a possible trade candidate for the club, could just be solidifying his place as a key reserve in the Toronto pecking order with his strong recent play, opines Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Boucher has honed his craft in his fifth NBA season. “He is a good rebounder, but he used to do it (by) just chasing the ball,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “And now we’ve asked him to put his body on people and do it a little bit more, I guess, fundamentally to make sure the other guy doesn’t get it… He’s hanging in there, and, well, he’s really playing well, and that’s a big improvement area for him to go find somebody to hit when a shot goes up.”