The Toronto Raptors are closely linked to Giannis Anteto Compo, but they are not the only player Toronto can add this summer.
The Toronto Raptors are on the way after trading many of their 2019 Championship Cores. Built on the back of a well-balanced young core, the Raptors appear to be trying to compete for the next few seasons, but the team’s president, Masai Ujiri, may not be able to help themselves.
The Uzilli and the Raptors have long been interested in adding Giannis Antetocompo, and their interest seems to be on their minds.
“The Raptors are a team that is starting to make a fuss within the league looking for big fish,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Who else does that mean anything but Giannis? It’s clear that he’s likely their favorite option, but the Raptor is in a position to make several different moves.
There are three often overlooked “big fish” that you can add this summer.
Kevin Durant is prone to injury and only has one season left on his contract, so the Raptors are not guaranteed to get multiple seasons from him.
For Ujiri, that’s fine. He traded Demar Derozan and Draft Capital in 2018 for Kawhi Leonard’s San Antonio Spurs, winning the franchise’s only title.
Adding Durant is a very similar move.
Complete mock trade details:
- Raptor Recipient: Kevin Durant
- Suns Receive: RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, 2026 Firstround Pick, 2028 First-round Pick
The Phoenix Suns get a young security guard, a rim protector and two unprotected picks.
Meanwhile, the Raptors either draft the entire rim protector or sign a Brook Lopez or Clint Capella.
Toronto sprinted through five oversized starting five: Immanuel Quickley, Durant, Brandon Ingram, Scotty Burns and Center (TBD), with plenty of young wings coming from the bench.
The Raptors may only have one shot to win the title, but in the open Eastern Conference, it’s time to make the move, just like the way LeBron James pulled the trigger when he moved west.
Burns is one of the league’s great defenders, and adding a high-level rebounder and rim protector to the front court next to him makes the Raptors a competitive force.
Unlike Durant, Jarrett Allen has four seasons left on the contract, and if they trade with him he becomes a long-term fixture.
After a second exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, the Cleveland Cavaliers may not be happy to run things on the same roster. And opening up a bit of paint for Evan Mobley to truly flower should be a priority.
Complete mock trade details:
- Raptor Receipt: Jarrett Allen
- Cavaliers Receiver: Ochai Agbaji, Jakob Poeltl, 2026 Firstround Pick, 2028 First-round Pick
Under this deal, the Raptors will improve their starting unit, with Burns and Allen surrounded by solid shooters like Barrett, Quickly and Ingram.
Meanwhile, Cleveland adds a solid backup to the Poertre behind Mobley, saving stretches as Agbaji has an expired contract.
The Cavs lose the best player in this deal, but not filming big on Allen allows them to pull up the spinning of the wings, regaining capital in the draft and regaining flips for another winner player.
The raptor has solid wings in Ingram, ball handlers in Bullet and Quickly, defensively centre in Poertret and Barnes all forwards. Adding the best scorers in the NBA Draft seems like an easy choice for them to make.
The only problem is that when the Raptors chose ninth overall, Tre Johnson wasn’t on the board. By then they could choose Kon Knueppel, Nique Clifford, or Kasparas Jakučionis, but those players all have clear weaknesses.
Johnson has the best offensive advantage over anyone in his class, but if Knueppel is on the board, that’s not a bad choice.
Johnson can score from a dribble or as a static catch-and-shoot threat. When he hands the ball to his hand, he intends to shoot it, and the raptor has plenty of facilitators to open him.
Of course, Toronto will have to trade up, but teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs may be interested in trading given that they already have a player core.
Adding Johnson is likely to knock Barrett on the second unit, allowing the Raptors to create some depth and become a long-term winner as well as a one-season flash of bread that adds Durant.