As the NBA Draft draws ever closer, the rumblings about draft night moves will only pick up steam. Those rumors involve both picks and veterans that could be on the move, particularly with a number of teams believing they’re close to contender status looking to add immediate help to their roster.
There are a few teams in particular that figure to be the most active this summer in terms of making trades to try and upgrade their roster (or simply shuffle the deck and try something new). The Atlanta Hawks apparently are willing to discuss anyone not named Trae Young in a trade, as Travis Schlenk admitted earlier in the season that running it back last summer was a mistake. The Portland Trail Blazers sit at No. 7 in the draft, with the expectation that they will look to move that pick for a veteran contributor to aid in what they hope is a quick bounceback next year with Damian Lillard back at full strength. Finally, the Utah Jazz are on the radar as the team most likely to try and flip one of its stars, as the Donovan Mitchell-Rudy Gobert dynamic is always under a microscope, particularly after another first round exit.
The latter of those two teams are the subject of the latest rumblings from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, who reports the Jazz and Blazers are among those hoping the Raptors will be willing to engage on talks about OG Anunoby this summer. Fischer notes that some around the league believe Anunoby may feel a bit like the odd man out with Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and even rookie Scottie Barnes taking larger offensive roles than him, and while he has not pushed for a trade, teams like Portland and Utah are hoping Toronto may be willing to discuss a deal after having him apparently off limits at the deadline.
However, Fischer notes the asking price will be extremely high if the Raptors were to entertain talks, which Portland may struggle to match even with the No. 7 pick, and while Utah has the type of center Toronto may covet in Gobert, the issue is the gulf of $20 million in salary between Gobert and Anunoby that might price the Raptors out of a potential deal.
Anunoby’s development has been remarkable as the latest success story of the Raptors, but at some point Toronto may feel they have to move on from one of their talented wings to gain more floor balance. If that happens, a number of teams around the league would come calling, not just Utah and Portland.