Why the Trade Works for the Toronto Raptors

The focus for the Toronto Raptors is to remain a highly competitive team with quality veteran pieces around Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam. The departure of Serge Ibaka to the Los Angeles Clippers and possibly also Marc Gasol signing elsewhere soon, too, is tough to overcome given their skill-sets.

Ibaka brought a quality stretch-big impact while elevating the defense while he was on the court. There is simply not much for options with that combination of skills, especially during this stage of NBA free agency with a weaker talent pool than the typical year has to offer. The same can be said about the floor stretching, passing, and defense of Gasol.

While Al Horford is coming off a down year with the Philadelphia 76ers, he was playing out of position. He would slot in as a stretch-five for the Raptors while providing a necessary combination of attributes on both ends of the floor playing alongside Siakam.

The price for Horford’s contract may be a bit steep, but that’s going to have to be a factor the Raptors accept. Not having to sacrifice much in a potential trade package should help make the price of the contract easier to shoulder.