The Toronto Raptors have been off to a solid start this NBA season and while that has made fans happy, that likely won't change the plans for general manager Masai Ujiri, who is overseeing a big rebuilding process and likely will be trading names like Rudy Gay and possibly DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry this season.
The Raptors acquired Gay last season in a three team deal and that was before Ujiri was with the team and since Toronto is looking to rebuild, chances are Gay will be moved. Gay got the chance to head back to play his old team in the Grizzlies this week and he was very solid, scoring 23 points and snagging six rebounds while leading the team to a win and now he could be auditioning for other clubs as the trade deadline gets closer early next year. The NBA trade rumor mill always starts going early and this season is no different with names like Omer Asik, Steve Nash, Danny Granger, Evan Turner and others coming up already.
According to ESPN.com, the Raptors would be willing to trade nearly anyone this season apart from Jonas Valanciunas and with Gay averaging over 18 points and about nine rebounds per game, he will be the top target for teams looking for a scorer and some options could be the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves or the Oklahoma City Thunder as well as the Sacramento Kings. The team has a number of pieces they could move in John Salmons and Patrick Patterson as well as Jimmer Fredette, but it's unclear if that's something that Raptors would be interested in.
Gay is making a ton of money with an $18 million salary and his age will play a factor since he is nearing 30-years-old and during his career he has been a solid scorer with a 16 point average per game and this could be his last stretch with Toronto before being moved. Bill Simmons brought up the Bucks as a possible option and with the team losing Brandon Jennings in the offseason after dealing him, this could be a fit.
The Raptors were coming off of a loss to the Rockets before pulling out the win against Memphis on the road and now they have a tough matchup coming against the Chicago Bulls on Friday and that could be very entertaining. The team has some players to move with Gay, including Lowry, who is a very solid point guard and while the team likes him, his value is high right now and that is why the team should probably deal him. The Lakers could use some help as well as other teams and Gay could be packaged with him in a deal if needed. Ujiri wants to rebuild and he wants the team to continue playing well, but chances are he will have to blow things up at some point to keep things going the way he wants as he builds back up the franchise.
