Since the start of the 2015-16 NBA season, the Toronto Raptors have consistently been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The last five seasons for them have consisted of five trips to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, including two trips to the conference finals and the franchise’s first championship in 2019. 

Toronto has gone 277-123 over this timespan and a large part of their success has been because of how well all their talent has been able to adjust to each other’s games and play with one another. Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam have all been some of the NBA All-Star talents on this roster over the years and now, Toronto’s success hangs on the shoulders of Lowry, Siakam and Fred VanVleet. 

So far this season, things have not been easy for the team up north, as they have started the season 2-6, and they have struggled on both ends of the court. They do not look as dominant defensively as they have in past years, and a large part of their lack of success has to be because of the losses of both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. 

The Raptors have had to go through a lot of different rotations this season and are still trying to figure out the issues they have in their frontcourt. They do not look like the Eastern Conference threat they have been over the years and as a result, there definitely needs to be a sense of worry within this front office.

Fred VanVleet is the only player who looks like an NBA All-Star on this roster right now, and with Kyle Lowry now 34-years old and set to turn 35 in March, the Raptors definitely need to be concerned about his play moving forward. He is still a reliable point guard, but he has been struggling this year to look like the 6x NBA All-Star that he is. 

Could Toronto possibly look to trade Kyle Lowry near the trade deadline this season if they continue to struggle? Let’s take a look at a potential trade between the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks, sending Lowry to the bright lights of New York City.