After ending 2024 with the worst loss in franchise history, the Raptors roared back in January to have their first month over .500 in over a year. Finally, winning games is nice for the fans and players, but the organization can’t forget the goal for this season. That goal is a top-five pick in this loaded draft class with potential franchise-altering stars. With the deadline fast approaching and other teams making deals to bottom out, the Raptors must be a major seller ahead of the February 6 trade deadline.
Why the Raptors Must be Sellers at the Deadline
To Tank or Not to Tank
The Raptors have come on as a team since the start of the new year. In 2025, Toronto is 9-7 and has held teams to 110.3 points, down from the 119.3 opponents scored over the first 33 games. With how Toronto is playing right now, it’s not hard to see them catching up with the 10th-seed Bulls, especially with Zach LaVine gone. However, why push for the last play-in spot when there is no chance this team is ready for the postseason?
Sure, playoff experience is valuable, and with all the young guys Toronto has, getting that early does have benefits, but does that outweigh a potential top-five pick in this loaded class? No, it doesn’t. The Raptors need to secure a bottom-five record or risk missing out on a top pick, making this season a waste of everyone’s time. This means the Raptors vets have to go before the trade deadline.
Who’s on the Way Out
The three Raptors most commonly mentioned ahead of the trade deadline are Chris Boucher, Bruce Brown, and Kelly Olynyk. With his combination of shooting, size, and energy, Boucher is the perfect fit for most contenders, and he is on an easy-to-trade deal. Olynyk, like Boucher, brings size and shooting to a team while being a great passer. He is also on a somewhat cheap two-year deal. Brown has looked much closer to his 2022-2023 self with the Raptors, which has teams interested in the sixth man again. Toronto should be able to get good returns for all three vets, with teams needing to beef up their rosters in response to moves out west. Moving the vets also opens up minutes for the rookies like Jonathan Mogbo, who have been out of the rotation for a while.
Which Raptors Vets Stay Past The Trade Deadline?
While the Raptors will probably move most of the team’s veterans, some are here to stay. At the top of that list is Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors have clarified that Poeltl gets dealt only on their terms for their price. Poeltl is a vital piece of the Raptors offense, the connector that keeps everything running. With no one to replace him on the roster and only 29, Poeltl should be a Raptors well past the trade deadline. The only other vet that seems entirely safe is Garrett Temple. Temple might not play much or be good when he does, but his leadership off the bench is invaluable to such a young team. Though he’s not a veteran, Davion Mitchell’s recent play seems to have locked up his spot on the Raptors for at least the rest of the season.
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