General manager Masai Ujiri has already made a couple big trades since taking over the team a couple years back. Andrea Bargnani and Rudy Gay have both been sent packing and after a disappointing end to the season, more changes are possible.
The back court is the strength of the team with point guard Kyle Lowry leading the way, but a lack of toughness in the paint is a concern as management decides on roster moves this summer. This franchise has made the playoffs twice in the last five years and playing in the weak Eastern Conference, that ratio is just not good enough, especially for the die hard fans north of the border.
Christopher Walder of Bleacher Report has suggested a few trades that could shake things up and make this a better team heading into the 2015-16 NBA season. The one trade that makes sense, especially since these two teams had discussions in the past, has Toronto acquiring Denver Nuggets power forward Kenneth Faried. a player Ujiri drafted when he held the GM job in Denver.
Faried is known for his tenacity on the boards, averaging 11.5 rebounds per game last season. The Raptors ranked near the bottom of the league with just over 41 rebounds per game and struggled against the bigger teams in the league with their lack of depth in the front court.
A deal would likely send a player like Terrance Ross or a couple draft picks to the Nuggets and for a team looking to rebuild and lose some salary, it’s a perfect opportunity to begin the process.
The Toronto Raptors have a solid nucleus of talent, but they still need that one player that can help them reach another level and while Faried isn’t a great offensive threat, he would give them a presence in the paint they lack and that could make a big difference in getting past the first round of the playoffs next season.
