The Toronto Raptors have been playing much better than expected this season and are leading their division heading into the February schedule and with the trade deadline coming up, names like Terrence Ross and Kyle Lowry are players that will come up and general manager Masai Ujiri will need to balance those expectations and the thought that the team will be active at the trading deadline as they build for the future.
The Raptors came into the season expecting to be in the mix for the NBA lottery and now they are looking like a playoff team in the east and that could change plans involving players like Lowry and Ross. The point guard was mentioned in a number of deals earlier in the season, including one with the New York Knicks that came close to happening, but the team pulled back after discussing their options. Ross had a huge game with 51 points last week and the team could opt to try and sell high on him to get some pieces for the future.
Ujiri was able to pull off the trade for Gay to Sacramento Kings and that arguably made the team better with the players he acquired and now it looks like they could make it into the postseason. According to ESPN.com, the Raptors now are dealing with an injury to Landry Fields and he could be out for nearly a month. The report says that Fields will be out with a wrist injury and that comes after he had surgery last season on his right arm and after injuring the wrist this season he had a "minor procedure" and will be out for approximately three weeks.
The Raptors are the most surprising division leader in the league and they are just ahead of the Brooklyn Nets in the Atlantic division and they are 22-21 on the season and are in position to make the playoffs. The fans are excited about the team and trading Rudy Gay has worked out so far and now it will be up to Ujiri to handle those expectations with his plans for the future of the team. The Nets have been playing much better since their terrible start and they are getting closer to the top of the division, while the Knicks are in third ahead of the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia Sixers.
