The Toronto Raptors look like a team that is going to make some noise in the Eastern Conference this season. Whether that means they can make it to the NBA Finals or not remains to be seen, but the team is sitting in second place at 28-11 and has adjusted the way it plays on the offensive side of the ball. Add in that DeMar DeRozan looks like a potential MVP candidate and it’s a good time to be a Raptors fan.
One impressive thing about Toronto is that it has a bevy of talented young players who have helped bolster its core. While DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, and Jonas Valanciunas have done much of the heavy lifting, younger guys like OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam have been able to fill in the gaps and give the Raptors some depth.
Because Toronto is in a position to possibly make a move this year, team president Masai Ujiri shared an unsurprising note during an appearance on the Toronto-based radio show Prime Time Sports. Ujiri mentioned that the team is getting “constant” calls about parting with one of their younger players.
“Yes they are,” Ujiri said when asked about the young players attracting attention from other teams. “Just before I left the office (general manager) Bobby (Webster) called me and said ‘Hey, this team called, a couple teams called.’ And it’s constant, it’s our job, we continue to try and interact with other teams and see what’s there.”
Ujiri did not say anything to suggest that Toronto is going to be active in the trade market and try to turn one of their young players into an impact player that could possibly put them over the top, but he did give a look into how the Raptors evaluate everyone on their roster.
“Growth is what we preach,” Ujiri said. “How are we getting better? Is OG getting better? Is Pascal getting better? How are those guys going to be next year? What experiences are they gaining? How are they going to play, knock on wood, when we make the playoffs? How are they going to play there? What are they going to gain? Jakob Poeltl or Delon Wright, those guys, how will they continue to grow? Sometimes we are looking outside that is actually inside with us.”
Ujiri is considered one of the best executives in basketball, and it’s cool that he gave a glimpse into how he operates. While he claims he’s getting a ton of calls and seems open to making a move if the right thing pops up, Ujiri understands that being patient and letting young guys develop is sometimes the best thing that a team can do. But of course, the only thing that matters is whether that will be the case as we move closer to the trade deadline.
(h/t r/NBA)
