The Toronto Raptors are aggressively scouring the market for a much needed help at the power forward position roughly three weeks left before the trade window closes, Basketball Insiders writer Steve Kyler reported in his recent column on Thursday.
After emerging as an early leader in then a very wide-open Eastern Conference, the Raptors found themselves at the no.2 spot in the current standings, but already eight games behind the current pace-setter and beast of the conference - the Atlanta Hawks.
The Raptors sustained their identity as high-octane offensive team (ranked 5th in the league at 105.8 points per game), but still struggling to fix their rebounding (41.9 rpg) and defensive (101.1 points allowed per game) facets, which both ranked 22nd in the NBA.
Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri, known for pulling off blockbuster trades (particularly Carmelo Anthony and Rudy Gay trades), has surprisingly been inactive on the trading front despite the gauntlet of moves several contenders made in the past two months.
However, NBA insiders aren't ruling out Ujiri from making another big move before the February 19 trade deadline, as the Raptors look to make a deep push into the postseason this year. According to sources, beefing up their frontline, particularly the power forward spot, would be the Raptors' priority should they make a move in the coming days.
According to Kyler, several intriguing names have already surfaced as potential trade targets for the Raptors. Chicago Bulls' sixth man Taj Gibson and Denver Nuggets energy bunny Kenneth Faried are mentioned as the top prospects, while Indiana Pacers banger David West could be another option for the Raptors.
"The Raptors are one of several teams sniffing around for a roster upgrade, specifically at the power forward spot. A few names continue to surface around league sources when talking about Toronto, the biggest being Indiana's David West, the next is Chicago's Taj Gibson, then Denver's Kenneth Faried and then there is a long list of B and C tier names that Toronto might consider at the deadline if all else fails," Kyler stated.
Toronto has multiple expiring contracts (Amir Johnson, Lou Williams, Chuck Hayes, Tyler Hansbrough and Landry Fields) on their roster, although some of these players are key rotation players while others have limited to zero trade value. Still, the Raptors could flip the Knicks first-round pick they acquired from trading Andrea Bargnani to sweeten up a trade package.
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