The Toronto Raptors could be open to major changes this summer if the right trade scenario presents itself.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during Tuesday night’s “NBA Draft: On The Clock” show that no one on the Raptors roster is untouchable, meaning any of the team’s players, including star guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.
“One thing about Masai Ujiri: He has never been afraid to talk about his star players in trade talks,” Wojnarowski said. “He’s not going to tell you anybody’s untouchable, and teams around the league know that. So they’ll talk about almost anything with this roster.”
This isn’t surprising at all given the recent playoff failures of this franchise, particularly Lowry’s and DeRozan’s consistently lackluster performance when it matters most in April and May.
The Raptors finished the regular season atop the Eastern Conference with a franchise-record 59 wins, but they were swept by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs.
Toronto’s roster isn’t good enough to win the conference and based on the current and future talent on the Boston Celtics’ and Philadelphia 76ers’ rosters, the Raptors could have a tough time getting past the second round without significant roster changes.
It’s time for a shakeup in Toronto, and it sounds like Ujiri isn’t afraid to at least consider major moves if they make sense for his team.
