After two losing seasons, the Toronto Raptors want to win and turn things around. People around the league believe that the Raptors will be an aggressive team during the offseason. Armed with their lottery pick, the Raptors want to make a splash. According to the betting odds, the Toronto Raptors have several trade targets. Let’s take a look.
Toronto Raptors Trade Targets: Betting Odds Might Surprise You
According to the latest rumors, the Toronto Raptors will try to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason. What is surprising is that according to bettors, Giannis is not their prime target. Or maybe they do not believe the Raptors can land him.
According to Bovada, a betting-specialized website, the biggest targets for the Raptors include: Domantas Sabonis at +500, Giannis at +600, Zach LaVine at +600, DeMar DeRozan at +800, Jrue Holiday at +900, Jamal Murray at +1000, Lauri Markkanen at +1400, Devin Booker at +2500, Ja Morant at +3300, and Nikola Jokic at +4000. But what can the Raptors realistically offer? While some of the names on the list might be on the trade block, others are long shots. Jokic is hardly moving away from Denver, for example.
What Can the Raptors Offer in a Trade?
The Toronto Raptors have all of their first-round and second-round picks going forward. This year, they will get the No. 9 pick. In a deep draft, even the ninth pick can fetch a quality rotational player. Plus, they have second-round picks in 2026 from the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
But if they get a superstar, their picks in the next few years will be late first-round picks. They lack lottery picks from other teams, for example, the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets.
In terms of players they can trade, they have some high-salary players like Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett. They also have some intriguing young players like Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Ochai Agbaji. If they put their chips in, they can get a star to join their team.
It is Time for the Raptors to Turn Things Around
The Toronto Raptors haven’t made the playoffs since 2022 and haven’t had a winning season since 2022-23 (when they finished 41-41). After winning a championship in 2019, they have been stuck in the middle for a while. They eventually traded Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, and now it is time to rebuild around Scottie Barnes. While their former players enjoy playoff success, the Raptors have had losing seasons.
As currently constructed, the Raptors are under the luxury tax for next season. They have $180 million in salary, with the luxury tax projected at $187 million. Toronto is getting close to the luxury tax, and even in the Eastern Conference, they failed to make the playoffs.
Can the Raptors Get Giannis?
If we look at the betting odds for the Raptors’ next trade target, Giannis is certainly a possibility. There are even new reports of mutual interest between the Greek Freak and Toronto. If the Raptors land Giannis, they might be able to replicate their 2019 championship run when they got Kawhi Leonard to a ready-to-compete team.
The difference is that before they got Kawhi, they had three consecutive 50-win seasons. Now, they have won a combined 55 games in the last two seasons.
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