Since their second round playoff exit at the hands of LeBron James, again, the Toronto Raptors seem to be ready for a rebuild, the only question is how big.
Since parting ways with Coach of the Year Dwane Casey, the Raptors have not been shy about the availability of their players. According to multiple reports, the Raptors are willing to part with any player in pursuit of a top ten draft pick.
As luck would have it, the 76ers just so happen to have a top ten pick and a whole lot of uncertainty over who they should select with the pick. While nothing is imminent, and a trade is unlikely to happen, there’s nothing wrong with seeing what the Raptors have to offer.
Here are the Raptors worth considering in a trade:
DeMar DeRozan
Arguably the best two guard in the East, DeRozan is an interesting option for a Sixers team in need of another star. He’s a dangerous scoring threat and would provide the team with veteran leadership and secondary ball handling, two things the Sixers sorely needed in the Playoffs.
However, DeRozan is going into his age 29 season and is expected to make $27 million per season until 2021. A trade for DeRozan would prevent the Sixers from going after any marquee free agents for the next three years. He could also create spacing issues for Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid due to his lack of a three point shot for them to play off of.
All-in-all, the tenth pick for a player of DeRozan’s caliber seems good on paper, but it would do more harm than good in the long run. Thank God Bryan Colangelo isn’t here anymore because something tells me he’d do this deal.
Kyle Lowry
In another universe, the Sixers signed Lowry as a free agent last offseason, drafted Jayson Tatum instead of Markelle Fultz, and probably beat LeBron James to make the NBA Finals. We don’t live in that universe, but now, a year later, the Sixers have the opportunity to go after Lowry again.
Personally, I would much rather have Lowry than DeRozan. He’s a light’s out three point shooter who just made his fourth straight all-star appearance. The Villanova alum would give the Sixers a savvy offensive general to take some of the play making responsibilities off the shoulders of Ben Simmons in the event Fultz continues to struggle.
With all that said, there’s no way in hell the Sixers should try to trade for Lowry. He’s already 31 years old and he’s projected to make at least $31 million for the next two seasons. Just like DeRozan, he’s a player worth the tenth pick, but his contract is an albatross no one would want to take on.
Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka may no longer be “Serge Iblocka” but he’s still one of the more valuable role players in the league. While his game has changed from shot blocking savant to more of a prototypical stretch four, he still skilled on the defensive end finishing second on the Raptors with 3.0 defensive win shares, not too far off from Joel Embiid’s 3.8. Ibaka’s floor spacing and shot blocking would pair very well with Embiid.
The biggest drawback with Ibaka, just like DeRozan and Lowry, is his age and contract. Ibaka will be 29 by the start of next season and is expected to make $20 million for the next two seasons. I wouldn’t mind seeing Ibaka in a Sixers uniform at some point, but not under his current contract.
OG Anunoby
I’ll be honest, this entire piece was just an excuse for me to talk about getting OG Annoy to the Sixers. I was all aboard the OG train last year during the draft and Im leading the hype train this year. Anunoby is the only member of this Raptors team I would legitimately give up the tenth pick for.
A projected lottery pick before injuries derailed his sophomore season at Indiana, Anunoby showed signs of promise as a member of the Raptors starting lineup last season and made good on some of his biggest questions marks. He’s a 6’8 small forward with a 7’6 wingspan who shot 37% from three last year. He’s capable of guarding multiple positions and projects to be a quality three and D guy. While there are players I’d take before him in this year’s draft, Anunoby has upside I would have no problem investing in with the tenth pick.
Snowballs & Batteries 