The Toronto Raptors have been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season and are leading the Atlantic division after many picked them to finish among the worst in the conference and as that goes on, GM Masai Ujiri must weigh the options of trading Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross or Landry Fields as the NBA trade deadline gets closer.
Many felt that the Raptors would be a team that "tanks" this season in the hopes of getting Canadian phenom Andrew Wiggins in the draft, but after trading Rudy Gay and playing better after that, it seems that plan is off the table. The team has a near five game lead over the Knicks in the division and now Ujiri must walk a fine line between making trades that help the team in the future and making a playoff run now to keep fans excited and engaged as the club plays well.
According to Pro Basketball Talk and ESPN.com, the most likely player to get moved is Kyle Lowry, but that does not seem like a sure thing anymore in the eyes of a rival GM, who said that the team would risk losing the fan base if they break up a team playing well even if they have no championship hopes. Lowry was being mentioned in numerous trade rumors and deals earlier this season with the Knicks and the Lakers, but neither of those got past the preliminary stages. The New York deal appeared to be one that could go down, but owner James Dolan balked at giving up too much to the Raptors.
Ujiri has had to walk this line before when it comes to rebuilding and making moves, as he had to do that on the fly while with the Denver Nuggets and now he has the chance to try and turn the Raptors into something special. Ujiri has made it clear that Jonas Valanciunas isn't going anywhere and now reports have the team wanting to keep Lowry and while it's possible Ross or DeRozan could move, don't be surprised if the Raptors sit tight and then reconsider moves in the offseason depending on how this season plays out.
DeRozan is leading the team in scoring with 21 points per game and he has been playing well since the Rudy Gay move, as has Lowry, who is now averaging over seven assists and nearly two steals per game, while Valanciunas is tops in rebounding. Ross plays in about 25 minutes per game and he is averaging nearly 10 points and has been a solid option this season.
According to SB Nation, Arron Afflalo could be a name that the Raptors look into acquiring, as his contract is not that much to take on and he has been impressive, ranking in the top 15 in scoring with over 20 points per game for the Magic. Ross reportedly is someone the Magic could look at in a deal and while Orlando has been coy about dealing Afflalo, they could relent in this case if the deal is right.