Despite last year’s regular season success and the addition of a couple key free agents over the summer, the Raptors are still lacking size and depth in the front court, leading many basketball experts to believe the front office will look to add some help before the upcoming trade deadline.
Rumors out of Chicago have the Bulls looking to move veteran center Joakim Noah and forward Taj Gibson, both of whom have been linked in trade speculation in the past few weeks, but are these the type of players that could help Toronto?
Noah is a hard nosed defender and the type of player that does all the little things that help win games. His scoring isn’t a strong point, but with the back court Toronto has in place, rebounding and defense are more of a priority.
The 30-year-old would also add some much-needed playoff experience to the squad, something that probably cost them in their first round loss to Washington in last years playoffs.
Despite missing the last couple of weeks with an injury, the big man is expected back this week and if he performs as expected on the court, he could find himself playing elsewhere over the second half of the season and Toronto and their new style of play would be a perfect fit for both parties.
There has been rumors on social media about Dwight Howard going north of the border, but this team doesn’t have enough depth to make a deal with the Rockets, despite the fans wanting a star player. It would strip this roster of at least two quality players and with Howard having a good, but not great year, it could cost this franchise in more ways than one over the next few years.