The streak has moved the franchise into second place in the Eastern Conference and just 2.5 games behind Cleveland, but that hasn’t stopped rumors of potential moves before the trade deadline next month as the front office looks to add some size and depth to the front court.
Steve Kyler is the latest to report that Toronto is searching for help and suggests that David Lee of Boston could be the man. The veteran center/power forward hasn’t played much with the Celtics, but when he’s on the floor, his numbers are solid.
The 32-year-old is averaging seven points and four rebounds in just over 15 minutes of action this year, not exactly the situation he was looking for entering the last year of his contract, but it could be a blessing as the trade deadline nears.
One obstacle is salary as Lee is making over $15 million this season, but with Boston looking to clear some salary cap room, they could be persuaded to deal the forward for a draft pick, but also pick up some of the money due for the rest of the year.
Despite another solid season from the Toronto Raptors, they have struggled against teams with a big front court. Adding some more muscle could be the move that gets this team deeper into the playoffs — they lost in the opening round to Washington last season.
While the former first round pick isn’t the same player he once was, he did average 18 points and nine rebounds per game for Golden State just two years ago. His playing time has decreased significantly since that time, hurting his overall numbers, but he can play a big role over the last couple months of the NBA season if put into the right situation and a move to Toronto would appear to be a win-win situation for both parties.
